ArticleBMJ open2026
Sociodemographic and educational factors associated with early clinical academic career progression among UK medical graduates: a retrospective cohort study using linked national data from the UK Medical Education Database (UKMED).
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo examine associations between sociodemographic and educational factors and early clinical academic career progression among UK medical graduates, focusing on intercalation, Academic Foundation Programme (AFP) participation and predoctoral fellowships (PFs).
designRetrospective cohort study using linked national data from the UK Medical Education Database. Multivariable logistic regression models examined associations between sociodemographic and educational factors and outcome measures, adjusting for relevant covariates.
settingAll UK medical schools with graduates entering the UK Foundation Programme between 2017 and 2022.
participants32 580 graduates (25 290 standard-entry (SE); 7290 graduate-entry (GE)).
main outcome measuresCompletion of an intercalated degree; application to and acceptance for AFP; application to and acceptance for a PF during specialty training.
resultsAmong SE graduates, 63.9% intercalated, 21.4% applied to AFP and 7.6% were accepted. Male, minority ethnic, privately educated and less deprived graduates were more likely to intercalate; disability and higher deprivation were associated with lower intercalation rates. Intercalation, publications, high Education Performance Measure (EPM) scores were associated with AFP application and acceptance while attendance to a 6-year programme was associated with only AFP application. At PF stage, minority ethnic SE doctors were less likely to be accepted (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.80, p<0.001) despite similar application rates. AFP completion was strongly associated with PF application (OR 7.82, 95% CI 6.68 to 9.15, p<0.001). GE graduates had similar AFP application (21.9%) and acceptance (6.3%) rates as SE graduates. Male, minority ethnic graduates were more likely to apply to the AFP, while low EPM scores reduced acceptance (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.57, p<0.001). Few sociodemographic factors were associated with PF applications, although prior AFP acceptance was associated with this outcome.
conclusionsEarly clinical academic career progression is associated with educational achievements and persistent sociodemographic inequalities. Equitable access to funded research opportunities during medical school may strengthen and diversify the future clinical academic workforce.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.