Medical student selection: a tentative attempt to establish a code of practice.

Each year medical schools in the United Kingdom select about 3800 entrants from about 12 000 applicants. The problem of selection is thus substantial, but the objectives, policies, and practices of different medical schools differ sharply and details of the procedures used are rarely made clear. There is no reliable or up-to-date information available for schools, careers of advisers, and prospective candidates to keep abreast of these practices and policies and of changes made to them. A code of practice for medical student selection might be helpful and would not only facilitate discussion about the appropriateness and fairness of the widely differing practices but make it easier to evaluate the procedures used. Such a code should list the academic and personal requirements for the school, state any quotas for types of entrants, and describe the selection procedures.