Russell group universities for medicine

It's true that all medical courses within the UK are accredited and all applicants know this, but I think the debate on applying to more 'prestigious' schools goes beyond this reasoning. It seems from the applicants perspective that it's almost in an attempt to soothe the ego by attending a school that is better placed in the league tables, either to prove it to themselves, or others about their (superficial) perception of superiority. It's still out there for debate as to whether better placed schools have a more engaging, and intellectually rich experience, and perhaps it is this what most applicants want to address, albeit unconsciously by starting threads like this. It's much like appreciating that any car will get you from A to B, but also still preferring the Audi to the Kia.

I understand what you're saying, after all, as a med applicant this year I experienced firsthand people being less than impressed with some of the unis I was applying to for med (and 3 were russel group and 1 1994 group!!!) as they dont really understand how competitive med is. Obviously, its nice to apply to 'prestigious' unis etc. and ultimately people should apply where they want to. However, the foremost consideration when applying really should be "where can I get in?"...with "what is most prestigious" coming in a fairway behind that