Britons lose out to rush of foreign medical students

Applicants fear being priced out by the higher fees paid by non-EU rivals
Harry Phillips, 22, from Shropshire
Harry Phillips, 22, from Shropshire

Britons wanting to become doctors are being turned away as medical schools admit growing numbers of overseas students who pay three times as much for their degrees.

The number of British first-degree students training to be doctors in the UK dropped by more than 500 from 2013-14 to 2017-18, while medical schools increased non-EU student numbers by 12%. While UK students pay £9,250 a year for their medical degree, non-EU students can pay up to £35,000 a year. The courses generally take five or six years.

Chris Smith, co-chairman of the medical students committee at the British Medical Association, said entry to medical school should be “based on ability, and not ability to pay”.

He said: “Gifted students from less wealthy backgrounds should not be