Introduction: Lack of diversity in the healthcare workforce harms patient care and outcomes, driving calls for more inclusive medical education. Physicians from disadvantaged backgrounds often serve underserved areas, and diversity improves cultural competence and trust. However, admissions still favour higher socioeconomic applicants, with barriers like standardized exams limiting access for underrepresented groups. This review examined barriers and enablers to medical school access for underrepresented groups, aiming to inform fairer admissions practices.

Methods: A scoping review was conducted using Arksey and O’Malley framework to map literature on barriers and facilitators to medical school access for applicants from migration backgrounds and low socioeconomic status. A comprehensive search of PubMed, ERIC, and Google Scholar (Nov 2024–Apr 2025) included studies in five languages published in the past 10 years. Data were extracted in early 2025 and thematically analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s method.

Results: Underrepresented groups face structural, institutional, economic, social and psychological barriers to medical school entry. Key challenges included financial hardship, inadequate academic support, lack of social capital, exclusionary institutional practices and psychological factors. However, targeted interventions – such as pipeline and outreach programs emphasizing mentorship and support networks – can help mitigate these barriers.

Conclusion: Despite ongoing efforts to widen participation, underrepresented groups continued to face complex, intersecting barriers to medical school admission. Addressing these challenges required more than general policy initiatives – it called for intentional, community-based approaches tailored to students’ specific needs. This review highlighted the need for sustained, systemic change alongside targeted support strategies.