Introduction Relevant work experience is an essential component of a medical school application. It can offer school students an invaluable insight into their intended career, enabling them to make more informed decisions about their future. Furthermore, such experiences have been shown to cultivate skills such as communication, leadership and team-working, which are highly transferable to medical training.

Within the field of medicine in the UK, underrepresentation from certain demographics is a persistent problem. Students from independent and grammar schools are overrepresented in the profession, and the majority of applicants come from backgrounds with managerial and professional occupations within the home. Conversely, those from more socioeconomically deprived backgrounds make up a disproportionate minority of the medical workforce. The reasons for this are multifaceted and complex, with socioeconomic and cultural contributing factors identified. Access to relevant work experience is commonly cited as a challenge amongst applicants, but this is often more profound amongst those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds. Some research has found that students from widening participation backgrounds can be less informed of the intricacies of a medical school application and lack insight into what a career in medicine involves, which are two key knowledge domains that work experience can enhance.

Aims and objectives of the research project or activity A three day virtual work experience program was conducted in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare NHS trust. The live and interactive sessions provided comprehensive information essential for students considering a career in medicine, including the role of a doctor, the different pathways into a career in medicine, and first hand insights from current medical students.

The learning objectives for attendees included improving understanding about the structure of healthcare in the UK, the different specialities within the field and multidisciplinary working.

The main aims of the program were to improve the confidence of attendees in their medical school applications, prepare them for interviews, and to help them determine whether a medical career aligned with their personal and professional ambitions.

Method or approach The work experience program was entirely virtual and took place over three days. It featured presentations by medical students and doctors of different specialities, detailing their experiences in the field and insights into the medical school application process. In addition, interactive sessions with allied healthcare professionals and patients were included. Alongside this, students were provided with a reflective diary to document their thoughts and learning experiences throughout the program.

A total of 132 school students, aged 16–19, participated in this program. The students were enrolled in a widening participation program designed to aid their applications to medical school. Pre and post work experience online questionnaires were completed by attendees, and responses collected through seven-point likert scales.

Data was analysed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test.

Findings Out of the attendees, 61.4% of attendees had not participated in healthcare related work experience prior to this program.

A comparison between the findings of the pre and post work experience questionnaires indicates that participation in the program had a positive impact on participants perceptions of a number of key areas. There was a significant increase in the self -reported confidence levels about applying to medical school (p <0.001) and regarding the prospect of a medical school interview (p <0.001). Moreover, there was also a notable rise in the perceived knowledge of ‘understanding of what being a doctor involves’ (p <0.001), ‘the different career paths within medicine’ (p <0.001), the different allied healthcare professionals and their role in the multidisciplinary healthcare team (p <0.001), and ‘understanding how the NHS works and is structured’ (p <0.001).

Overall, students felt that the program offered experiences that would support their application and that it assisted in their decision-making process regarding whether medicine was the right career path for them.

Key messages Developing a diverse and inclusive medical workforce is a complex issue which likely necessitates a multimodal approach. However, data from this program suggests that access to work experience is an issue for aspiring medical students from underrepresented widening participation backgrounds. Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting significant improvements in self reported confidence across pivotal domains. This suggests that access to relevant work experience can positively impact student perception of applying to medical school. However, longitudinal research is required to evaluate the lasting impact of such programs, and whether there is any impact on the success rate of medical school applications amongst participants.