Factors influencing ethnic minority medical students' performance in second sit examination.

The variation in levels of performance on educational assessments between students from different societal groups where ethnic minority (EM) students are awarded lower academic outcomes compared to their white counterparts remains a persistent issue across all UK higher education. At Warwick Medical School, the largest graduate entry medical school in the UK, a detailed analysis of all examinations from 2015 to 2024, across all three phases of the medicine course, showed that a statistically significant higher number of EM students end up in second sit examinations in comparison with their white peers. However, in the second sit examinations there was no statistically significant difference in performance. Therefore, the research aim was to explore factors that facilitated EM students' improved performance in second sit examinations and if those factors could be transferred to first sit examinations, the outcomes of which are used for honours degree award. We used a qualitative design and interviewed medical students that have failed, resat their examinations and passed. Thematic analysis revealed four key themes: socio-cultural factors, resources, support and personal factors that influenced performance and how addressing these factors improved students performance. The study highlighted the complex and multifaceted factors that contributed to failure and identified strategies to improve performance.