"whether the students I was referring to in my post who were extremely positive about UCL might be misogynistic boys"
I absolutely did not say that. I simply asked whether they were boys, because I suspect the experience of for girls and boys could be different. Unless you think all boys are misogynistic?!
One reason why DD did not apply to London medical schools, other than the one that is a short walk from us and which would have allowed her to live at home and to continue her pre-University social and sports life, was a concern that about possible partiarchal elements in the culture of some London medical schools.
This was based on her experience of a London open day where she thought she was the only one to attend unaccompanied, with some others bringing large family groups. She felt the whole talk seemed aimed at parents, with an emphasis on "we are more academic than Oxbridge" etc, and no mention of sport, social life or the wider University life. As if it were assumed that parents would be making the decision of what and where their DC would study. Only fathers, not even mothers, asked questions and there seemed no effort to communicate with prospective students. DD was clear that there was no chance on earth that she would apply there, even though, with her profile, she stood quite a good chance. (She did apply to Birmingham, which looks for a similar academic profile.) She knew a few girls who stayed in London because they were discouraged from applying anywhere where they would have to live away from home. This perception was backed up by a couple of things she heard from non-medic NHS staff about the medical student cohort in a couple of other London teaching hospitals, and indeed an incident where a medical student sat in during a hospital appointement she had, but struggled to make eye contact with her or me. (Admittedly to the seeming embarrassment of the doctor present.)
DD does not face any problems where she is, and indeed girls are probably in a majority. But she says it appears far tougher for friends who are visibly Muslim, who apparently struggle with being accepted as independent and equal by some of their male classmates, both Muslim or non Muslim.