According to a BMA report, medical students from low-income backgrounds are graduating with over £13,000 more debt compared to their better off fellow students. These perturbing findings have been discovered in the BMA’s Medical Student Finance Survey (2010/2011), that questioned over 2,800 medical students. It raises concerns regarding the government’s plans to widen access to medicine from low-income groups.

These are the report’s key conclusions:

  • The average debt for medical students at graduation has increased from £23,909 to £24,092 but for graduates from lower income brackets the projected debt is £37,588, an increase of £11,264 from £26,324 in the past 12 months.
  • Graduate students studying a first degree prior to studying medicine had a higher average debt of £30,748.
  • Nearly all medical students (94%) in their final year reported some type of debt in form of credit cards, overdrafts, student loans or other sources.
  • Students from low income and graduate backgrounds tend to rely on higher levels of commercial borrowing, i.e. credit cards and student bank loans.
  • In the past year the number of medical students from a low-income background has dropped from 14% to 11%.
  • Nearly half (44%) of medical students depend on financial assistance from relatives and friends, averaging £3,702 a year.

Elly Pilavachi, Co-Chair of the BMA’s Medical Student Committee and a medical student from Brighton commented on the report saying:

“Medical students are now facing extremely high levels of graduation debt. Many are clearly heavily dependent on financial support from their families and friends to get through the intensive, five to six year medical course.

However, the picture for those from low-income backgrounds is particularly alarming with their debt levels a staggering £13,000 higher than those from higher income brackets. Our evidence shows they are having to borrow more and are under more financial pressure than their peers.

It is hardly surprising that there has been a noticeable and worrying drop in the number of students coming from less well-off backgrounds.

With the government intent on allowing universities to charge up to £9,000 a year in tuition fees from 2012 the picture for all medical students looks bleak.

Ministers are running the risk of restricting access to medicine to those with the ability to pay rather than the talent to succeed. As someone from a modest background who is struggling under the current fee regime I would have thought twice about going to medical school if I had to cope with the predicted £70,000 worth of debt that many medical students could face under the new fee regime from next year.”

Graduate medical student Marion Matheson from Bristol, who is co-chair of the BMA Medical Student’s Committee added:

“Our research shows that graduate students, like myself, are incurring higher levels of debt, on average £6,000 more than other students.

This is deeply concerning as this important group make up a significant part of the medical school population and are more likely to come from low income backgrounds. Many bring valuable experience and skills to the medical profession that benefit patients, the NHS, clinical research and other disciplines.

The BMA is continuing to press the government to outline a comprehensive widening access strategy that does more to help address the financial plight of medical students, especially those from low income and graduate backgrounds who are under significant financial pressure.”

Written by Petra Rattue