Incoming UK Medical Students Offered £10k incentive to Transfer to Study at other Uni's
This year has seen another increase in the number of medical school applicants securing their first choice universities. This has led to oversubscribed medical schools asking successful applicants to consider transferring to a medical course at an alternative university in exchange for a £10,000 incentive.
How did this decision come about?
The Department of Education is piloting the scheme called ‘The Brokerage Programme’, to absorb the impact of the government’s decision to increase the number of medical school places this year.
The brokerage programme is needed to support the high standards of medical training required for students to become good doctors says the Medical School’s Council, who represent UK medical schools.
This year, applications to medical schools rose by 20%, with the government funding extra places for medical schools to address the need for more doctors in the healthcare system.
Who is eligible for the Brokerage Programme?
This brokerage scheme is currently only available to students who have successfully met the conditions of their 2021 medical school offer at universities that are oversubscribed.
When will I be contacted about transferring medical schools through the 2021 Brokerage Programme?
If you are eligible, you will be contacted directly by your medical university.
Some students reported that they had been contacted about the medical school brokerage scheme on A-level results day.
When will students receive their compensation?
Details for how the £10,000 compensation will be distributed is to be announced in due course, but it will be funded partly by the government and by affected universities.
What has happened this year?
“Medical schools welcome the government’s decision to increase the number of medical school places to ensure that those students who have met the terms of their offer can study medicine.
This year, we have seen applications to medicine courses rise by 20%, and many more applicants have met the terms of their offers than forecast.
Medical schools recognise the need to bolster the future NHS workforce and by supporting this brokerage programme have committed to ensuring that expansion considers the need to maintain high quality medical education and training for all future doctors.”
Professor Malcolm Reed, Co-Chair of the Medical Schools Council
Some of the most popular medical schools exist in areas which cannot provide facilities for an increased number of clinical placements. With a ⅓ of medical schools across the country said to be oversubscribed.
During this year’s Clearing process, (which usually sees around 80,000 students find their places at a university), competition for popular courses has heightened due to an increase in students securing their top grades.
Tim Bradshaw, Russell Group CEO (who represents 24 UK universities), said there has been “unprecedented demand” for places this year.
He said the institutions including the University of Oxford, the University of Manchester and Newcastle University, look forward to welcoming a “record number of them”.
“However, our universities also need to ensure every student gets the high-quality teaching and learning experience they quite rightly expect from us.
Sources: The Guardian, MSC, Sky news
FAQs
How do I take part?
If eligible, you will be contacted directly by the med school that you have successfully secured a place at. They will give you more details about the brokerage programme and ask you to contact them if you’d be interested.
Which alternative medical school can I transfer to through the brokerage scheme?
If enough students refuse to transfer, students may be asked to defer their place at medical school until next year, possibly in exchange for financial compensation.
The University of Exeter has already implemented this strategy, offering offer-holders a year’s free accommodation and a bursary of £10,000 to medical students who agree to defer their studies.
(It’s worth noting that an increase in the number of medical student deferrals will have a knock-on effect on next year’s medical school recruitment.)
What happens if not enough students agree to transfer medical school?
Medical schools will want students to confirm whether they would be open to transferring as soon as possible. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes coordination that is needed in a very short space of time to make sure the brokerage programme will work.
Dr Bradshaw (Russell Group CEO) said: “There has been unprecedented demand for places this year, but over the next few weeks Russell Group universities will be working hard to accommodate as many students as possible.
How long is the brokerage scheme expected to last?
Medical schools will want students to confirm whether they would be open to transferring as soon as possible. There is a lot of behind-the-scenes coordination that is needed in a very short space of time to make sure the brokerage programme will work.
Dr Bradshaw (Russell Group CEO) said: “There has been unprecedented demand for places this year, but over the next few weeks Russell Group universities will be working hard to accommodate as many students as possible.
What should I do if I’ve been contacted about this brokerage programme?
It’s up to you to decide whether deferring your place at medical school or transferring to another medical school is worth the £10k incentive.
Things to seriously consider:
The Brokerage Programme:
- The Medical School you’re being asked to transfer to/the choice of medical schools you could transfer to: think about how their teaching styles, campus, placements differ and how your life will be affected eg accommodation, travel, career opportunities
- How you could use your ‘compensation’ money
If you’ve been asked to defer your studies:
- Think about how delaying your studies for a year might benefit/disadvantage you
- How you could use your compensation money
- If you’ve been offered £10k +/- free accommodation for one year
Resources to help you make your decision:
In Other News
In other news: The Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, has said he expects universities to offer in-person teaching from the autumn, instead of online-based learning. More on that later…