- Dr Zaki Hassan-Smith says that there are still significant differences in how many students from different income backgrounds are at medical schools
- Involving all stakeholders, like underrepresented student groups, to solve the problem in a technique known as ‘action research’ is vital
- Students could get involved through feedback groups, summer schools and workshops addressing class barriers.
An Aston University researcher says that involving students from different income backgrounds in designing admissions processes and support structures in medical schools will help to improve diversity.
Dr Zaki Hassan-Smith, a clinical senior lecturer at Aston Medical School, says that there are particular disparities in the socioeconomic status of applicants. Many medical schools, including Aston Medical School, have worked to promote medicine as a profession to school students from underrepresented backgrounds, but his work has shown that less attention has been given to supporting students from underrepresented groups once they are at medical school.
Dr Hassan-Smith has been researching these ‘widening participation’ efforts and working with the Department of Education at Oxford University to improve the experience of medical students from widening participation backgrounds. He has adapted an approach known as ‘action research’ to achieve this. Action research is a method in which all stakeholders get involved in developing solutions for a given problem. It is an approach widely used in the wider education and healthcare sectors.
He explains: “If we are hoping to improve the experience of medical students from underrepresented backgrounds at university and in their subsequent careers, when using an action research approach they are involved in the design of support systems.
“By actively involving students in identifying challenges and designing improvements, universities can not only enhance access but also create a stronger sense of belonging among future doctors.”
Action research projects could include medical school taster days for teenagers or workshops addressing class barriers, and Dr Hassan-Smith’s research shows that such efforts have successfully boosted confidence, engagement and motivation among underrepresented groups. If widely adopted in medical schools, action research could address inequalities not just at the point of entry, but throughout training and into medical careers.
In the research paper, Dr Hassan-Smith gives recommendations for medical schools to help implement action research principles. These include faculty training in action research methods, piloting action research projects, embedding student feedback loops in curriculum design and establishing committees across institutions to further research in the area.
Academics at Aston University and Oxford University are now working together on an action research project in which faculty and student insights are explored in small group workshops, to develop guidelines on improving the medical school experience of students from widening participation backgrounds. The aim is to build inclusive learning environments and to shape policies and practices that better support students from all backgrounds.
Dr Hassan-Smith said: “Imagine if admissions and support structures were shaped by the people that they are meant to help. The research explores how action research brings underrepresented students into the conversation, not just as subjects, but as partners.
“Action research empowers underrepresented students to help shape the future of medical education. By working collaboratively, we can dismantle barriers and build a healthcare workforce that truly reflects the society it serves.”
Read the full research paper, ‘Empowering change: Making the Case for Action Research for Studying Widening Participation in Undergraduate Medical Education’, in the Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning (WPLL) Journal at https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/openu/jwpll/2025/00000027/00000001/art00002
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About Aston University
For over 130 years, Aston University has been making our world a better place through education, research and innovation. Our history is intertwined with the remarkable city of Birmingham, once the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and now the thriving base for an innovation ecosystem of global significance, which Aston is co-creating.
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