Socioeconomic disadvantage shows a persistent adverse association across both selection and progression stages of medical education¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · quant-synthesis r2 · q3 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · recheck by 2031: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 First-generation applicants and applicants whose parents are in the lowest income brackets had reduced odds of both admission (OR = 0.62 and OR = 0.57) and progression (OR = 0.58 and OR = 0.55). → Arianpoor Arash 2026

Evidence¶

Arianpoor Arash 2026¶

Arianpoor Arash, Pena Alexia, Mercer Annette, Cox Jennifer, Lekkas Dimitra, Geronimo Francis Ruel, Waldron Heidi, Randal John, Dabner Marcus, Lynagh Marita, Pather Nalini, Shepherd Nicole, Robb Nigel, Berdin Rose, Wilkinson Tim, Hu Wendy, Shulruf Boaz, Huang Pin-Hsiang. (2026). Socioeconomic and economic factors affecting access and progression in medical schools: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Evaluation for Health Professions. https://doi.org/10.3352/jeehp.2026.23.6

q3 · i2 · quant-synthesis · r2

Cross-outcome synthesis illustrated in Fig. 4 comparing pooled effects of the same predictors on selection and progression, with printed effect sizes OR = 0.62, OR = 0.57, OR = 0.58, and OR = 0.55. The authors describe "a persistent impact of socioeconomic inequality" with a potentially cumulative effect from selection to completion.

"First-generation applicants and those with parents in the lowest income brackets had reduced odds of both admission (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.56–0.69 and OR, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.43–0.75, respectively) and progression through medical school (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.52–0.63 and OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.5–0.59, respectively)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Socioeconomic Status — predictor: outcomes differ by group: a gap reflecting circumstances and treatment, not a cause

Related Claims¶

• Applicants from deprived geographic areas have lower odds of selection into medical programs (pooled OR = 0.69) — related
• Household economic and educational disadvantage is associated with poorer progression through medical school, with effects larger for progression than for selection — related
• Household economic and educational disadvantage is associated with reduced odds of admission to medical programs (pooled OR = 0.6) — related
• Socioeconomic disadvantage and contextual stressors are negatively associated with academic performance in medical students — related