Class of medical degree awards ‘will continue to be monitored’

The class of degree awarded by medical schools is an area which needs more investigation, according to the Medical Council’s 2023 annual report.

However, a spokesperson said its education and training committee had not yet decided whether the matter required further investigation. The area will “continue to be monitored through the annual returns process”.

The annual returns for the academic year 2021/22 were analysed for nine medical schools and 12 programmes in 2023, according to the Council’s report.

The level of first-class honours degrees ranged from 2 per cent in University of Limerick (UL) to 15 per cent in the RCSI (Dublin) and RCSI/University College Dublin Malaysia Campus. The average percentage of first-class honours degrees awarded was 11.5 per cent.

“The class of degrees awarded has implications on (sic) intern placements, postgraduate training applications, and jobs,” stated the Council’s report.

An RCSI spokesperson said it had “robust quality assurance measures” including full oversight of all grades by external examiners.

They said the high calibre of students who entered the RCSI, and the quality of teaching and support, was reflected in the percentage of first-class honours degrees that it awarded.

“The range of first-class honours degrees awarded in each institution in the published data varies from year-to-year, which means the average each year also fluctuates.”

The College’s spokesperson said that postgraduate posts are “awarded based on a class ranking in each institution, ensuring that fluctuations in award classifications, seen in all institutions, do not disadvantage graduates”.

A UL spokesperson said it did “not have any concerns” about the percentage of first-class honours degrees it awarded compared to other medical schools.

“The number of first-class honours awarded has been a function of the grading criteria in UL, which in some cases vary from those used in other universities,” said the spokesperson. “In the last academic year, a review of grades awarded was completed and analysis has determined that it would be appropriate to modify grading bands.”

The spokesperson said examination results for the penultimate and final year contribute to the degree awarded. The revised grading bands are being phased in over two academic years.

“This will not have any impact on the quality of the programme or the rigour of assessment.”