How access to the medical profession is conceptualised by key stakeholders: evidence from a case study of NHS ‘work tasters’

Young people’s access to the kind of employer engagement activities needed to progress to leading universities and professions have been the subject of increased scrutiny in recent years (Huddleston and Stanley 2011; Stanley et al, 2014; Mann and Kashefpakdel 2014; Jones et al, 2015). One concern regularly flagged is that access varies according to school type and socio-economic background (Hatcher and Le Gallais, 2008; Jones, 2014). A number of recent reports issues by the Sutton Trust (2014; 2016) and the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission (2012; 2013) discuss fair access to leading professions, and the role of employer engagement is central to this issue. The career used as a case study for this research involves the medical profession. Our particular focus is the NHS, the largest healthcare system in the world and the employer of around 1.6 million people. Access to work-based opportunities are even more important for progression in medical professions than elsewhere because many higher education courses of study in the field demand that applicants have prior experience (Mann et al, 2011). Scholars have highlighted the importance of authentic exposures to workplaces in healthcare contexts (Neilson and McNally 2010; Porter et al. 2009), with Greenhalgh et al. (2004) arguing that improved access among young people from disadvantaged backgrounds may tackle commonly held stereotypical views of the medical profession. However, studies have indicated such teenagers typically face the greatest challenges in securing relevant work-based experiences (Southgate et al, 2015). Our paper makes a vital contribution to this important, ongoing debate. By examining the responses of schoolteachers, medical students and NHS staff to the idea of ‘work tasters’ for state school pupils, we (a) identify the real-world barriers that need to be surmounted if access is to be widened and (b) reveal stakeholders’ underlying views and dispositions toward entry to the profession.