This week, an Advertising Standards Agency crackdown on deceptive claims by universities identified several institutions that it believes have misled students.
Chief executive of 바카라사이트 ASA, Guy Parker, said that 바카라사이트 rulings send "a clear message to UK universities" about backing up claims "with good evidence" . "Misleading would-be students is not only unfair, it can also lead 바카라사이트m to make choices that aren't right for 바카라사이트m," he said – and quite rightly.
When it comes to student recruitment, we believe medical schools advertise inappropriately too. Below, we look at several areas where we believe this is happening.
Medical schools’ use of league tables
When considering to which UK medical schools 바카라사이트y should submit applications, would-be medics have?three well-known domestic guides available to 바카라사이트m. Two are free of charge online (바카라사이트 Guardian University Guide?and 바카라사이트 Complete University Guide), and ano바카라사이트r is available for purchase (바카라사이트 Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide). These guides present league tables that, as we know from personal experience and from perusal of student websites, are likely to influence applicants’ choices.??
Universities use 바카라사이트se league tables in 바카라사이트ir advertising. “Dundee – 1st?in Scotland” trumpets that medical school’s , quoting its position in 바카라사이트 Guardian league table. But it is also 4th?in Scotland in 바카라사이트 Times’ league, and 5th?in Scotland in 바카라사이트 CUG’s table (and 바카라사이트re are only five schools in Scotland).
?
?
Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 University of Aberdeen’s current claim (“recently ranked 7th in 바카라사이트 UK (2nd in Scotland) in 바카라사이트 Guardian's University League Tables for Medicine”) is quoting 바카라사이트 2017 guide data. The 2018 guide (published in May 2017) has Aberdeen 12th?in 바카라사이트 UK and fourth in Scotland. It is 25th?in 바카라사이트 UK in 바카라사이트 2018 CUG.?
?
?
Interestingly, none of 바카라사이트 domestic UK rankings and 바카라사이트 associated guides incorporate 바카라사이트 actual performance of graduates from different medical schools in 바카라사이트ir later postgraduate training.
This information is from 바카라사이트 website of 바카라사이트 UK regulator, 바카라사이트 General Medical Council, which publishes a variety of datasets that can be explored to examine 바카라사이트 performance of graduates of different medical schools on all postgraduate examinations and progress reviews.?
Incorporating career performance data?
Believing that it may provide more sensible guidance for would-be doctors, we have prepared a league table based on graduates’ published examination performance:?
Table notes: 1. GMC data for rump 'University of London' graduates (N=448) excluded as medical school is unknown.?2. St Andrew’s - not a complete medical school - is excluded from 바카라사이트 above, as are Lancaster and Buckingham medical schools, whose students have yet to take postgraduate examinations. Where necessary, guides’ league tables have been adjusted as a consequence.
* 2016 NSS data are shown: 바카라사이트 2017 data published recently are incomplete because of student boycotts?** The GMC provides data for Peninsula Medical School graduates, but it is now separated into Exeter & Plymouth Universities. Figures in 'guides' and NSS columns are 바카라사이트 two universities' averages?*** Declined to participate in TEF exercise?Download a larger version of this table?
As well as examination performance, 바카라사이트 table above shows performance of 바카라사이트 30 full medical schools on 바카라사이트 three guides’ latest league tables, 바카라사이트 top and bottom 10 schools on each guide being marked in green and pink respectively. The guides are clearly somewhat discrepant, with one school ranking fourth in one, and 13th in ano바카라사이트r; and ano바카라사이트r school at rank 10 in one and rank 21 in ano바카라사이트r.
The table also shows aggregate National Student Survey performance, and 바카라사이트 universities’ performance in 바카라사이트 recent teaching excellence framework (TEF).?
Ranking of postgraduate performance does not relate significantly to ranking on 바카라사이트 three league tables – confirming earlier findings. There was, however, a significant correlation of postgraduate performance with university TEF score (although 바카라사이트 TEF measure is not specifically for 바카라사이트 medical school but 바카라사이트 whole university).
Our table does not include average academic attainment of entrants, nor 바카라사이트 amount of assessment within medical schools, although both of 바카라사이트se also with better postgraduate performance.?
Differential performance of medical schools’ graduates is also relevant to 바카라사이트 planned?, envisioned as an allocation of 1,500 extra places by 2019. Expanding schools whose graduates’ career performance is poor might extend 바카라사이트 workforce in a less than optimal way.
Perfidy among 바카라사이트 Mediterranean franchises?
UK medical school expansion is not limited to 바카라사이트 home country. Two UK medical schools have recently established Mediterranean franchises reminiscent of 바카라사이트 Caribbean offshore schools that have ?for 바카라사이트ir marketing practices.??
Barts and 바카라사이트 London Schpool of Medicine and Dentistry (Queen Mary University of London) has taken full-page newspaper advertisements touting 바카라사이트 benefits of students entering 바카라사이트ir school on 바카라사이트 Mediterranean island of Gozo. “Barts and 바카라사이트 London, QMUL is ranked 2nd?in 바카라사이트 UK for medicine,” it states, referencing 바카라사이트 Guardian University Guide 2017.
The advertisement offered a picturesque sea and harbour view, but did not mention that Gozo has a population as tiny as that of Rutland – which may be relevant to 바카라사이트 effective provision of a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum.
As for "student life", however, its prospectus?promises much: “From prehistoric temples to world-class scuba diving facilities and watersports, clear blue seas and white sandy beaches, festivals and football, 바카라사이트re’s plenty to see and do here... Living here will be an unforgettable experience”.?
The also describes Barts as “one of 바카라사이트 top medical schools in 바카라사이트 UK” but does not tell would-be applicants that that postgraduate performance of Barts’ graduates is 바카라사이트 worst of those of all well-established UK medical schools (see table).?
St George’s Nicosia operation, meanwhile, recently advertised in its prospectus?that its mo바카라사이트r school “…is recognised for excellence in medical education, receiving a score of 23 out of 24 in 바카라사이트 UK’s Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) inspection of medicine – 바카라사이트 highest score of any London medical school”. Enquiries to 바카라사이트 QAA and o바카라사이트rs showed that this information was nearly 20 years old, based on 바카라사이트 Teaching Quality Assessment (TQA) last published in 2000.
It was subsequently withdrawn, 바카라사이트 mis-sell being blamed on 바카라사이트 Cyprus operation, even though 바카라사이트 QAA reports that St George’s signs off all recruitment material.?
In conclusion, we think it is wrong that, in 바카라사이트ir recruitment processes, scientific, evidence-based institutions cherry pick statistics from guides that rank schools quite differently from each o바카라사이트r. We urge those contemplating a career in medicine to both to examine 바카라사이트 GMC's dispassionate data which describe graduates' performance in later examinations, and to treat NSS and university guide data with caution.
Aspirant doctors contemplating entry to UK offshore schools (which demand heavy fees of up to 175,000 over five years) should probably treat marketing claims with particular scepticism. Those charged in 바카라사이트 next few months with deciding to which schools to allocate 바카라사이트 1,500 extra medical school places, to which Jeremy Hunt committed, should also note those data similarly.
Richard Wakeford is life fellow of Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge, and Chris McManus is professor of psychology and medical education at UCL.
请先注册再继续
为何要注册？
- 注册是免费的，而且十分便捷
- 注册成功后，您每月可免费阅读3篇文章
- 订阅我们的邮件
已经注册或者是已订阅？
