Dear H Khan

Thank you for your email requesting data relating to the Medicine course
at The University of Manchester.

I will today forward details of your request to the relevant department
within the university and will contact you again once I have received a
response.

With best regards

Lisa Crawley

Dr Lisa Crawley l  Records Officer  l Information Governance Office
l Directorate of Compliance and Risk l  Professional Support Services |
Room 1.028, John Owens Building  l Compliance & Risk Management Office
l  The University of Manchester  l  Oxford Road  l  Manchester  l  M13
9PL  l  Tel +44 (0)161 275 8400  

I will be away from the University until 09 October 2017.   In the
meantime please direct your enquiry to [email address].

With best regards

Lisa Crawley

Records Officer

The University of Manchester

Dear Mr Kahn

Thank you for your email requesting data relating to the Medicine degree
at The University of Manchester. Part of the requested data is being
refused as the University believes that the data is exempt under Section
43 of the Act - the exemption which relates to commercial interests.
Please see the formal refusal notice below:

Please also see the partial response below provided by the Medical School.

All Medical Schools are subject to a HEFCE cap on total student numbers
and therefore we make decisions on or around results day to accept or
reject students with a grade profile that differs from their offer in
order to manage the intake numbers in respect of target. Each year a
minority of applicants are admitted with slightly lower grades or, in some
cases, with a tariff equivalent (for example, A*A*B instead of AAA). The
decision on taking students with dropped grades is made on academic
grounds, following a holistic review of the application by the Academic
Lead for Admissions and/or members of the admissions team. Although UKCAT
and Interview scores are an important element of this review process we do
not assign specific weightings to them. The programme did not enter
clearing this year.

The selection process is described in detail on our website which you can
find here:

[1]https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/medicin...

Refusal Notice

This Refusal Notice has been issued under Section 17 of the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) in respect of your request for information under
Section 1 (1) of the FOIA.  The University of Manchester confirms that the
information requested is held but we are refusing to provide it in
response to your request for the reasons set out below. 

Details of your request:

How many people missed their grades and still got accepted into Medicine
this year? And how many grades were missed? Could I have stats for the
access programmes and also those who weren't on the programmes? Also
what's the lowest grade profile accepted to study Medicine this year? In
terms of interviews, is there a reserve list for Medicine and did anyone
get into Medicine through clearing( direct or internal) this year, if so,
how did this occur? Were applicants listed via interview scores/ UKCAT
scores/ Grades? And, has anyone ever dropped out which has resulted in
someone previously unsuccessful after interview gaining their place?

Reason for our refusal

Section 43 (2) of the FOIA – Commercial Interests

Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would,
or would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of any person
(including the public authority holding it).

Section 43 (2) of the Freedom of Information Act, exempts from disclosure
data that is likely to prejudice the University’s commercial interests.

The number of students accepted each year and their grade profiles is
commercially sensitive information. Medical schools are increasingly in
competition with each other in the selection of candidates, if the level
of data requested were to be publicly available we would be placed at a
significant commercial disadvantage.

Whilst there is a public interest in the University being transparent as
possible we feel that the public interest in universities being able to
compete effectively to attract the best students outweighs this.

Public Interest Test

As Section 43 (2) is a qualified exemption it requires a public interest
test to determine if the commercial interest is overridden by public
interest from the release of the information concerned.

The University has considered the balance of public interest and has
concluded that the balance lies in withholding the information.

The University of Manchester Freedom of Information Act appeals procedure 

If you feel that The University of Manchester has refused access to
information to which you are entitled, or has not dealt with your request
appropriately under the FOIA, you have a right of appeal. 

An appeal in the first instance should be directed to the Information
Governance Office, contact details below. You should include: 

·         details of your initial request

·         any other relevant information

The University will deal with your appeal within a reasonable time, and
will inform you of the projected time scale on receipt of your complaint.
 

You are also welcome to contact the Information Governance Office with
informal questions about the handling of your request. 

After The University’s internal appeals procedure has been exhausted, you
have a further right of appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office. 

Details of this procedure can be found at:  

[2]www.ico.org.uk

I trust this concludes your request.

With best regards

Lisa Crawley

Dr Lisa Crawley l  Records Officer  l Information Governance Office
l Directorate of Compliance and Risk l  Professional Support Services |
Room G6 Christie Building  l Compliance & Risk Management Office l  The
University of Manchester  l  Oxford Road  l  Manchester  l  M13 9PL  l 
Tel +44 (0)161 275 8400  

References

Visible links
1. https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/medicin...
2. http://www.ico.org.uk/