The majority of medical students come from affluent neighbourhoods.

The internet could help students from a disconnected background where their teachers don't have a clue obtain the information that they are seeking (it's what I had to rely on myself) but it depends on whether knowledgeable people are willing to share their secrets online.

Such a delusionally useless post, and the point being? An assumption can be made is that the aspirations of those from lower income backgrounds to become a medic may be significantly lower to those from affluent neighborhoods. This is true. Coming from a state comprehensive, the number of students wanting to enter into medicine was less than 5% (12/240 students). However transitioning to my current sixth form, a prestigious independent school, Harrow; medicine "has always been a popular career choice for many boys", with a dedicated medical society. Medicine is a popular choice for those in independent schools, perhaps because of their medical backgrounds (family/relatives) ; their academic acumen and potential may satisfy the demands of medicine; entering into a respectable profession or simply having the responsibility of helping others. Medicine courses at university is a 5/6 year journey (a lot of money, although student finance can alleviate economic issues) and are academically challenging, with private schools students being more prepared- With exposure to a competitive environment, national competitions, mock seminars, and interviews. However in spite of this, why focus on opening additional opportunities to those from lower-income backgrounds to be encouraged into medicine, if a large proportion of them simply are not interested, and most importantly if there is a large array of leniencies, contextual flaggings, summer schools and outreach programmes to those who are interested. What else do we need? Nothing, aspiring medical applicants from lower income backgrounds face one general issue, academics.

Maybe there could be a website for that? We could call it The Student Room

I would recommend that they join TSR but it's not a magic bullet solution. The very best teacher is one who has travelled the road which you want to travel. How many such people are they on TSR? The majority of people here (apart from agent provocateurs) are students themselves so it has the potential to create a situation of the blind leading the blind when it comes to matters beyond studies, just like in the school playground. I happen to be an exception as I'm not a student and I'm older by at least 10 years than most people here but I'm not a medic.

There's also the possibility that most of the students who do know the secrets of success when it comes to professional careers are not members of TSR or won't share their secrets here. The public school toffs might even view TSR as an online community of plebs and middle class wannabees !!!

The regulars in the Medicine forum are *very* experienced, very helpful, and quickly spot and correct misinformation spread by those less knowledgeable.

I'm aware of the Medicine forum but not being a medic myself I'm not in a good position to evaluate the material posted there.

If the material is first rate to the point where anybody reading it has the same, or higher, degree of advantage to a student at private school with highly knowledgeable staff when it comes to medical admissions procedures then it renders this discussion close to pointless and irrelevant.

Most Y11 pupils (nevermind Y12 or Y13) have precisely zero awareness of TSR.

Evidence please?! Only a small fraction might be registered users but many more could be reading stuff here.

And I suspect the most disadvantaged are among the least likely to be on TSR too - I have no evidence, just a feeling.

Again I ask, how is disadvantaged defined for the purpose of this discussion?

The context is in the OP.