Question reference: S6W-02195
- Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
- Date lodged: 11 August 2021
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 August 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it provides to medical students from disadvantaged backgrounds each year, including during placement years.
Answer
Widening access to medicine for disadvantaged students remains a primary focus of the Scottish Government. As of academic year 2021-22, there are 60 places shared among Scotland's 5 medical schools which are reserved for students who meet the criteria for widening access, and we have committed to doubling that number over the lifetime of this Parliament. There are also SG funded pre-medical entry courses running at the universities of Aberdeen and Glasgow which aim to prepare aspiring medical students by helping them to get the academic qualifications required for entry into undergraduate medicine.
All medical students who are studying medicine full-time as a first degree are entitled to the standard undergraduate student support package for the full duration of their studies. This means the teaching costs are paid by the Scottish Government to the Universities (via the Scottish Funding Council) and their tuition fees are paid by the Scottish Government through Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). They can also apply to SAAS for various loans and bursaries to help with living costs, depending on their individual circumstances.