Is medical school only for the rich?

Times are getting tough in Canada for those who aspire to a post-secondary education but are not from wealthy families. Surveys done at the University of Western Ontario reveal that medical students are a privileged crew, coming from homes with family incomes in the top few percentiles. This phenomenon has intensified dramatically in the last few years, coinciding with huge increases in tuition fees. It struck me as unfair when I read in CMAJ that some of those unable to gain admission to a Canadian medical school can buy their way into an Irish one.1 It's sad to see us regressing as a society and abandoning the legacy of the 19th century social activists who fought for equal educational opportunities for rich and poor.