Agree 100%. And in the US you have peer review cartels - people who support one another with favourable assessments and block 'outsiders' getting funding. But if you say anything you are at risk of being accused of 'sour grapes'. You're at Liverpool aren't you? I'll pm you....
I work up in London at one of the top six. I do some external examining. For 4 years I was an external at Sussex/Brighton for phase 1 medicine (first year preclinical). I can tell you that the med school is absolutely thriving, and they have done such a great job that their programme is being...