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Research article
Rishad Khan
Western University Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
Corresponding Author
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Background While the importance of medical students’ demographic characteristics in influencing the scope and location of their future practice is recognized, these data are not systematically collected in Canada. This study aimed to characterize and compare the demographics of Canadian medical students with the Canadian population.
Methods Through an online survey, delivered in 2018, medical students at fourteen English-speaking Canadian medical schools provided their age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, educational background, and rurality of the area they grew up in. Respondents also provided information on parental income, occupation, and education as markers of socioeconomic status. Data were compared to the 2016 Canadian Census.
Results A total of 1388 students responded to the survey, representing a response rate of 16.6%. Most respondents identified as women (63.1%) and were born after 1989 (82.1%). Respondents were less likely, compared to the Canadian Census population, to identify as black (1.7% vs 6.4%) (P<0.001) or Aboriginal (3.5% vs. 7.4%) (P<0.001), and have grown up in a rural area (6.4% vs. 18.7%) (P<0.001). Respondents had higher socioeconomic status, indicated by parental education (29.0% of respondents’ parents had a master’s or doctoral degree, compared to 6.6% of Canadians aged 45-64), occupation (59.7% of respondents’ parents were high-level managers or professionals, compared to 19.2% of Canadians aged 45-64), and income (62.9% of respondents grew up in households with income >$100,000/year, compared to 32.4% of Canadians). Assessment of non-response bias showed that our sample was representative of all students at English-speaking Canadian medical schools with respect to age, though a higher proportion of respondents were female. Additionally, there were no differences between early and late respondents with respect to ethnicity, rurality, and parental income, occupation, and education.
Conclusions Canadian medical students have different socioeconomic characteristics compared to the Canadian population. Collecting and analyzing these characteristics can inform evidence-based admissions policies.
Keywords
undergraduate medical education, admissions, socioeconomic status
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Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at BMC Medical Education.
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Accept
On 28 Apr, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 08 Apr, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 26 Mar, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 26 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 25 Mar, 2020
Editor assigned
On 23 Mar, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 23 Mar, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 22 Mar, 2020
Editor invited
On 22 Mar, 2020
Version 1
Posted 29 Oct, 2019
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 11 Mar, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 03 Mar, 2020
Review #3 received
Received 21 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 12 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 11 Feb, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 17 Dec, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 03 Dec, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 29 Nov, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 22 Oct, 2019
Editor assigned
On 21 Oct, 2019
First submitted
On 20 Oct, 2019
Editor invited
On 20 Oct, 2019
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Internal Medicine
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A new preprint design is coming!
We have improved readability, clarity, accessibility, and opportunities for engagement.
See the published version of this preprint at BMC Medical Education.
This is a preprint, a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Rishad Khan
Western University Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
Corresponding Author
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
View the published article at BMC Medical Education.
No community comments so far
Editorial decision: Accept
On 28 Apr, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 08 Apr, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 26 Mar, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 26 Mar, 2020
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 25 Mar, 2020
Editor assigned
On 23 Mar, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 23 Mar, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 22 Mar, 2020
Editor invited
On 22 Mar, 2020
Version 1
Posted 29 Oct, 2019
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 11 Mar, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 03 Mar, 2020
Review #3 received
Received 21 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #3 agreed
On 12 Feb, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 11 Feb, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 17 Dec, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 03 Dec, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 29 Nov, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 22 Oct, 2019
Editor assigned
On 21 Oct, 2019
First submitted
On 20 Oct, 2019
Editor invited
On 20 Oct, 2019
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Internal Medicine
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published article at BMC Medical Education.
Background While the importance of medical students’ demographic characteristics in influencing the scope and location of their future practice is recognized, these data are not systematically collected in Canada. This study aimed to characterize and compare the demographics of Canadian medical students with the Canadian population.
Methods Through an online survey, delivered in 2018, medical students at fourteen English-speaking Canadian medical schools provided their age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, educational background, and rurality of the area they grew up in. Respondents also provided information on parental income, occupation, and education as markers of socioeconomic status. Data were compared to the 2016 Canadian Census.
Results A total of 1388 students responded to the survey, representing a response rate of 16.6%. Most respondents identified as women (63.1%) and were born after 1989 (82.1%). Respondents were less likely, compared to the Canadian Census population, to identify as black (1.7% vs 6.4%) (P<0.001) or Aboriginal (3.5% vs. 7.4%) (P<0.001), and have grown up in a rural area (6.4% vs. 18.7%) (P<0.001). Respondents had higher socioeconomic status, indicated by parental education (29.0% of respondents’ parents had a master’s or doctoral degree, compared to 6.6% of Canadians aged 45-64), occupation (59.7% of respondents’ parents were high-level managers or professionals, compared to 19.2% of Canadians aged 45-64), and income (62.9% of respondents grew up in households with income >$100,000/year, compared to 32.4% of Canadians). Assessment of non-response bias showed that our sample was representative of all students at English-speaking Canadian medical schools with respect to age, though a higher proportion of respondents were female. Additionally, there were no differences between early and late respondents with respect to ethnicity, rurality, and parental income, occupation, and education.
Conclusions Canadian medical students have different socioeconomic characteristics compared to the Canadian population. Collecting and analyzing these characteristics can inform evidence-based admissions policies.
This is a list of supplementary files associated with this preprint. Click to download.
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