TY - JOUR T1 - Do we value work experience before medical school? JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 242 LP - 243 VL - 55 IS - 512 AU - Jonathan Park AU - Robin Philipp AU - Anthony Hughes Y1 - 2005/03/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/55/512/242.abstract N2 - The selection of future doctors in the UK is based on restricted entry to medical school. The 12% drop-out rate in training1 is lower than the 18% drop out rate for other courses.2 The present selection process for medical school entry is therefore of paramount importance, given the numbers entering medical education. By 2005, the annual intake to British medical schools will be 5894 compared with 3749 in October 1997.3Previous studies investigating student selection have considered the fairness of the selection procedure. They attempted to establish the qualities believed to be most important in successful applicants. For some time however, it has been recognised that academic performance alone is not a satisfactory marker of the ‘right’ student,4,5 and that personal attributes should also be considered, particularly when their suitability for subsequent general practice is considered.6,7 However, recent reliable meta-analyses demonstrate that previous academic performance remains a good (but not perfect) predictor of successful medical training.8 Nevertheless, provided students surpass a certain academic threshold, other qualities such as … ER -