Enhancing Medical Attraction
Growing Scotland's Future Medical Workforce
Introduction
The Enhancing Medical Attraction (EMA) Programme is a national programme hosted within the NHS Scotland Youth Academy, part of Public Services Delivery (PSD) Scotland.
Our ambition is to ensure that all young people in Scotland, regardless of background or geography, can make informed decisions about whether a career in medicine is the right path form them. The programme seeks to improve equity of access to opportunities that build awareness, aspiration, confidence and preparedness to apply to medical school as this is the important first step onto the Scottish medical education journey.
Why This Work Matters
- Medical workforce challenges in Scotland
- The need to widen participation and improve equity of access
- Rural and remote workforce considerations
- The importance of supporting young people, families, teachers and advisers with trusted information
- The role of attraction as part of the wider medical education reform agenda
Our Approach - Learning Through Action
Rather than implementing a single solution, the programme uses an action-learning and test-of-change approach to understand what works in supporting attraction to medicine. The programme combines:
- Research and evidence synthesis
- Partnership working
- Digital innovation
- Local and national tests of change
- Continuous evaluation and knowledge sharing
Principles That Guide Our Work
Equity - Supporting those least likely to access medicine through existing networks.
Partnership - Working across NHS Scotland, schools, universities, third sector organisations and communities.
Youth Voice - Involving young people in design, testing and evaluation.
Evidence Informed - Using research and evaluation to guide decisions.
Continuous Learning - Sharing learning openly to support future improvement
Current Tests of Change
The programme team is currently delivering several practical tests of change designed to explore how Scotland can create a more equitable and effective pathway into medicine.
Focus Areas
| 1. Your Med Future - developing a trusted information and applicant support ecosystem for aspiring medical students and their influencers. | 2. Rural Equity Network - Exploring how place-based partnerships can improve opportunities and support for young people in rural and remote communities. | 3. Digital and Media Innovation - Exploring the use of short-form media, peer-generated content and digital engagement approaches to reach young people more effectively. |
| Career exploration | Community partnerships | Video content |
| Application guidance | Local role models | Social media |
| Peer insight | Building rural intention | Story telling |
| Digital engagement | Regional collaboration | Trusted information journeys |
Future Content Development
- Research summaries
- Insight reports
- Evaluation findings
- Knowledge exchange session outputs
- Case studies
- Emerging recommendations
Get in Touch
if you wish to contact the team, please email: nes.yourmedfuture@nhs.scot