HOW MANY STUDENTS SHOULD ENTER MEDICAL SCHOOLS? FOCUS GROUP FOR FUTURE LEADERS: 10/04/12

Dear colleague,

What kind of healthcare will the English population need and expect in 2040? How many doctors will

we need? How many students should be entering medical schools now?

These are challenging question that we are asking to help inform decisions about future medical and

dental student numbers and we want your input.

In order to make recommendations about medical and dental student intakes the Centre for

Workforce Intelligence (CfWI) is using scenario thinking, a technique that focuses on how the future

might unfold over a defined timeframe. Scenarios are not predictions of the future but alternative

stories about possible and plausible futures.

The project also involves modelling to forecast demand and supply for a range of plausible future scenarios, to determine the effect of various policies on achieving a sustainable balance of demand and supply, and to determine the numbers of students/ trainees needed to achieve this.

The views of future healthcare leaders are important. I am writing to invite you to a focus group for

medical students and trainees.

During the focus group we will:

• Explain why and how we are modelling the future medical workforce

• Explore four plausible future scenarios

• Consider some of the ‘unknowns’ in the equation, such as: o the future health needs of the population in England o doctors’ changing work patterns

• Get your views on this work and provide you with an opportunity to inform the thinking as this work progresses

Date: Tuesday 10th April 2012

Time: 10:00 to 13:00. A light buffet lunch will be provided

Location: 1 Queen Anne's Gate, Westminster, London SW1H 9BT

I will be delighted if you can contribute to this work. RSVP to Joel to confirm your attendance or with

any questions: joel.tuckwell@cfwi.org.uk / 0750 003 2540.

Yours,

Professor Moira Livingston

CfWI Commissioning Director