ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The lack of diversity in the health workforce is partly due to selection criteria for health professional programmes that have not selected students from a wide range of backgrounds. Consequently, health care professionals from minority groups and lower socio-economic backgrounds are under-represented in the workforce. APPROACH: The Socioeconomic Equity (EQ) support programme aims to increase the participation, retention and academic success of students from low socio-economic communities studying in health professional programmes at the University of Otago. At the start of the academic year, students who had attended a secondary school from a low socio-economic community were invited to take part in the EQ Programme. This includes group workshops on study skills, guidance from peer mentors, subject specific academic support, one-on-one course advice and pastoral support and activities to enhance self-esteem and self-efficacy. EVALUATION: Comparing the first two years of the EQ project with the previous year, there was an increase in the percentage of students from schools in low socio-economic communities that passed HSFY. It was also found that more EQ students were offered places in health professional programmes than in the previous year. IMPLICATIONS: The percentage of students passing HSFY has increased, and importantly, the percentage of students from low socio-economic backgrounds entering professional health programmes has doubled. This is a small start to building a health workforce that fairly reflects people from all communities.
