Design and Conduct an Educational Activity and Investigate whether it facilitates the growth of effective social networks to support Undergraduate BM6

Widening Participation (WP) in Medicine is essential to help minimise the lack of representation in the
medical profession (Patterson and Price, 2017). Research suggests that WP students struggle at
university due to having fewer social networks (Friend, 2021). Transition periods such as the start of
placement have been identified as a particular challenge (Curtis and Smith, 2020). Therefore, it is
imperative that universities support these students in obtaining the social capital needed at university
and in the medical profession (Thiele et al., 2016; Friend, 2021). The research will be interdisciplinary
between the School of Education and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton. The
research will be a 3-paper mixed methods thesis, aimed to design, implement, and evaluate the impact
of a network-based intervention on supporting WP medicine students with growing and sustaining their
networks. A quasi- experimental cross-over design will be implemented. Social Network Analysis and
qualitative methods such as focus groups will be employed to evidence the impact of this intervention.
The Theory of Change framework and relational capital theory will be used to design, implement and
evaluate of this intervention. The impact of this research could include supporting WP students in
achieving their objects. Delivering a research-based model to support future WP medical students in
growing their networks. Providing additional benefits to students on other courses at the university which
also have a significant WP divide. Has the ability to be adapted nationally and internationally into a
network-based intervention to support all university students.