ArticleBMJ open2021
Opening up the black box of a Gateway to Medicine programme: a realist evaluation.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Widening access to medical school in Australia: A realist evaluation.Medical education · 2026Article
- Widening access to medicine: A realist review.Medical education · 2026Review
- The Medicine Success fund: financial support for widening participation medical students improves wellbeing and increases sense of belonging.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Progress test performance of medical students admitted via the medical education preparation program.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Surviving and Thriving in Medicine: Developing Theory-Based Interventions for Students From Widening Access Backgrounds.The clinical teacher · 2025Article
- Medical school selection is a sociohistorical embedded activity: A comparison of five countries.Medical education · 2025Review
- Effective factors in planning, implementation, and management of educational program evaluation in medical sciences: A practical guide.Journal of education and health promotion · 2024Article
- Article
- The added value of free preparatory activities for widening access to medical education: a multi-cohort study.BMC medical education · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
objectivesA Gateway to Medicine programme, developed in partnership between a further and higher education setting and implemented to increase the socioeconomic diversity of medicine, was examined to identify precisely what works within the programme and why.
designThis study employed realist evaluation principles and was undertaken in three phases: document analysis and qualitative focus groups with widening access (WA) programme architects; focus groups and interviews with staff and students; generation of an idea of what works.
settingParticipants were recruited from a further/higher education setting and were either enrolled or involved in the delivery of a Gateway to Medicine programme.
participantsTwelve staff were interviewed either individually (n=3) or in one of three group interviews. Nine focus groups (ranging from 5 to 18 participants in each focus group) were carried out with Gateway students from three consecutive cohorts at 2-3 points in their Gateway programme year.
resultsData were generated to determine what 'works' in the Gateway programme. Turning a realist lens on the data identified six inter-relating mechanisms which helped students see medicine as attainable and achievable and prepared them for the transition to medical school. These were academic confidence (M1); developing professional identity (M2); financial support/security (M3); supportive relationships with staff (M4) and peers (M5); and establishing a sense of belonging as a university student (M6).
conclusionsBy unpacking the 'black box' of a Gateway programme through realist evaluation, we have shown that such programmes are not solely about providing knowledge and skills but are rather much more complex in respect to how they work. Further work is needed to further test the mechanisms identified in our study in other contexts for theory development and to identify predictors of effectiveness in terms of students' preparedness to transition.
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