Changing trends in ethnicity and academic performance: observational cohort data from a UK medical school

Prokriti Mukherji; Maryam A. Adas; Benjamin Clarke; James B. Galloway; Thomas Mulvey; Sam Norton; Jonathan Turner; Mark D. Russell; Heidi Lempp; Shuangyu Li

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066886

Changing trends in ethnicity and academic performance: observational cohort data from a UK medical school

Prokriti Mukherji, Maryam A. Adas, Benjamin Clarke, James B. Galloway^*, Thomas Mulvey, Sam Norton, Jonathan Turner, Mark D. Russell, Heidi Lempp, Shuangyu Li

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective Quantify differential attainment by ethnicity in undergraduate medical assessments and evaluate whether institutional efforts to reduce the attainment gap have had impact. Design Observational cohort study. Setting A single UK MBBS medical programme. Participants Pseudonymised data of adults aged ≥18 years enrolled in one of the UK MBBS medical programmes between 2012 and 2018. Ethnicity was self-declared during enrolment as White, Asian, Black, mixed and other. Main outcome measure Module mark (distinction, merit, pass, fail) graded according to a variety of assessments, including single best answer examinations, objective structured clinical examinations and coursework submissions. All modular assessments are graded as a percentage. Logistic regression models were used to calculate relative risk ratio to study the association between ethnicity and attainment gap over a calendar and scholastic year. Models were adjusted for age, gender, social deprivation and scholastic year of study. Results 3714 student records were included. In the sample, 2134 students (57%) were non-white. The proportion of non-white students increased from 2007 (49%) to 2018 (70%). Mean age was 18 (IQR 18-21) and 56.6% were females. Higher proportion of non-white students 218 (24.8%) were from more deprived backgrounds versus white 76 (14.8%). Compared with non-white, there were no significant differences in the proportion of students failing assessments. However, white students were more likely to achieve merit (relative risk ratio 1.29 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.45)) or distinction (1.69 (95% CI 1.37 to 2.08)). Differences in attainment gap have remained unchanged over time, and for black students, attainment gap grew between their first and final year of study. Conclusion A similar proportion (97%) of non-white and white students had a passing score, but attainment gap for higher grades persists over years despite widespread efforts in medical schools to diminish the attainment gap linked to ethnicity. Our findings are from a single institution, thus affecting generalisability.

Original language	English
Article number	e066886
Journal	BMJ Open
Volume	12
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066886
Publication status	Published - 15 Dec 2022

Keywords

education & training (see medical education & training)
epidemiology
medical education & training

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066886

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title = "Changing trends in ethnicity and academic performance: observational cohort data from a UK medical school",

abstract = "Objective Quantify differential attainment by ethnicity in undergraduate medical assessments and evaluate whether institutional efforts to reduce the attainment gap have had impact. Design Observational cohort study. Setting A single UK MBBS medical programme. Participants Pseudonymised data of adults aged ≥18 years enrolled in one of the UK MBBS medical programmes between 2012 and 2018. Ethnicity was self-declared during enrolment as White, Asian, Black, mixed and other. Main outcome measure Module mark (distinction, merit, pass, fail) graded according to a variety of assessments, including single best answer examinations, objective structured clinical examinations and coursework submissions. All modular assessments are graded as a percentage. Logistic regression models were used to calculate relative risk ratio to study the association between ethnicity and attainment gap over a calendar and scholastic year. Models were adjusted for age, gender, social deprivation and scholastic year of study. Results 3714 student records were included. In the sample, 2134 students (57%) were non-white. The proportion of non-white students increased from 2007 (49%) to 2018 (70%). Mean age was 18 (IQR 18-21) and 56.6% were females. Higher proportion of non-white students 218 (24.8%) were from more deprived backgrounds versus white 76 (14.8%). Compared with non-white, there were no significant differences in the proportion of students failing assessments. However, white students were more likely to achieve merit (relative risk ratio 1.29 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.45)) or distinction (1.69 (95% CI 1.37 to 2.08)). Differences in attainment gap have remained unchanged over time, and for black students, attainment gap grew between their first and final year of study. Conclusion A similar proportion (97%) of non-white and white students had a passing score, but attainment gap for higher grades persists over years despite widespread efforts in medical schools to diminish the attainment gap linked to ethnicity. Our findings are from a single institution, thus affecting generalisability.",

keywords = "education & training (see medical education & training), epidemiology, medical education & training",

author = "Prokriti Mukherji and Adas, {Maryam A.} and Benjamin Clarke and Galloway, {James B.} and Thomas Mulvey and Sam Norton and Jonathan Turner and Russell, {Mark D.} and Heidi Lempp and Shuangyu Li",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022.",

year = "2022",

month = dec,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066886",

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T1 - Changing trends in ethnicity and academic performance

T2 - observational cohort data from a UK medical school

AU - Mukherji, Prokriti

AU - Adas, Maryam A.

AU - Clarke, Benjamin

AU - Galloway, James B.

AU - Mulvey, Thomas

AU - Norton, Sam

AU - Turner, Jonathan

AU - Russell, Mark D.

AU - Lempp, Heidi

AU - Li, Shuangyu

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Y1 - 2022/12/15

N2 - Objective Quantify differential attainment by ethnicity in undergraduate medical assessments and evaluate whether institutional efforts to reduce the attainment gap have had impact. Design Observational cohort study. Setting A single UK MBBS medical programme. Participants Pseudonymised data of adults aged ≥18 years enrolled in one of the UK MBBS medical programmes between 2012 and 2018. Ethnicity was self-declared during enrolment as White, Asian, Black, mixed and other. Main outcome measure Module mark (distinction, merit, pass, fail) graded according to a variety of assessments, including single best answer examinations, objective structured clinical examinations and coursework submissions. All modular assessments are graded as a percentage. Logistic regression models were used to calculate relative risk ratio to study the association between ethnicity and attainment gap over a calendar and scholastic year. Models were adjusted for age, gender, social deprivation and scholastic year of study. Results 3714 student records were included. In the sample, 2134 students (57%) were non-white. The proportion of non-white students increased from 2007 (49%) to 2018 (70%). Mean age was 18 (IQR 18-21) and 56.6% were females. Higher proportion of non-white students 218 (24.8%) were from more deprived backgrounds versus white 76 (14.8%). Compared with non-white, there were no significant differences in the proportion of students failing assessments. However, white students were more likely to achieve merit (relative risk ratio 1.29 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.45)) or distinction (1.69 (95% CI 1.37 to 2.08)). Differences in attainment gap have remained unchanged over time, and for black students, attainment gap grew between their first and final year of study. Conclusion A similar proportion (97%) of non-white and white students had a passing score, but attainment gap for higher grades persists over years despite widespread efforts in medical schools to diminish the attainment gap linked to ethnicity. Our findings are from a single institution, thus affecting generalisability.

AB - Objective Quantify differential attainment by ethnicity in undergraduate medical assessments and evaluate whether institutional efforts to reduce the attainment gap have had impact. Design Observational cohort study. Setting A single UK MBBS medical programme. Participants Pseudonymised data of adults aged ≥18 years enrolled in one of the UK MBBS medical programmes between 2012 and 2018. Ethnicity was self-declared during enrolment as White, Asian, Black, mixed and other. Main outcome measure Module mark (distinction, merit, pass, fail) graded according to a variety of assessments, including single best answer examinations, objective structured clinical examinations and coursework submissions. All modular assessments are graded as a percentage. Logistic regression models were used to calculate relative risk ratio to study the association between ethnicity and attainment gap over a calendar and scholastic year. Models were adjusted for age, gender, social deprivation and scholastic year of study. Results 3714 student records were included. In the sample, 2134 students (57%) were non-white. The proportion of non-white students increased from 2007 (49%) to 2018 (70%). Mean age was 18 (IQR 18-21) and 56.6% were females. Higher proportion of non-white students 218 (24.8%) were from more deprived backgrounds versus white 76 (14.8%). Compared with non-white, there were no significant differences in the proportion of students failing assessments. However, white students were more likely to achieve merit (relative risk ratio 1.29 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.45)) or distinction (1.69 (95% CI 1.37 to 2.08)). Differences in attainment gap have remained unchanged over time, and for black students, attainment gap grew between their first and final year of study. Conclusion A similar proportion (97%) of non-white and white students had a passing score, but attainment gap for higher grades persists over years despite widespread efforts in medical schools to diminish the attainment gap linked to ethnicity. Our findings are from a single institution, thus affecting generalisability.

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KW - epidemiology

KW - medical education & training

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JO - BMJ Open

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Changing trends in ethnicity and academic performance: observational cohort data from a UK medical school

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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