Our equality, diversity and inclusion work
Gender equality
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry is proud to hold Silver Athena SWAN Awards for both Medicine and Dentistry. Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) is a charter established 2005, that recognises and celebrates good practices in higher education and research institutions towards the advancement of gender equality: representation, progression and success for all.
The 10 Athena SWAN Principles
The School of Medicine and Dentistry is committed to the the Athena SWAN Principles. Further information can be found here on the Advance HE webpages.
Key facts about Athena SWAN in the SMD:
- The most recent School of Medicine award submission (2017) received a Silver Award. It emcompassed the following institutes: BCI, Blizard, IHSE, WHRI, Wolfson. Download the dcoument here Silver Athena SWAN document [PDF 6,086KB].
- The Institute of Dentistry submits a separate award submission to Medicine. Dentistry received it's own Silver Award in 2018. Download the document here Institute of Dentistry 2018 Silver Award [PDF 2,600KB].
- The next School of Medicine award submission is due in 2022, and Dentistry is due in 2023.
- Each award submission is compiled by a Self-Assessment Team (SAT) comprising a diverse mix of academic and professional staff, and UG and PG students.
- The School of Medicine SAT Chair is Professor Chloe Orkin. Professor Orkin has been a Consultant HIV Physician at the Royal London Hospital for the last 16 years. Her clinical duties include running a busy HIV and HIV/HCV research unit, as well as being the current chair of the British HIV Association (BHIVA), and Vice President of the Medical Women’s Federation.
- The Institute of Dentistry SAT Chair is Dr Aylin Baysan, Reader in Cariology in relation to Minimally Invasive Dentistry (MID), Honorary Specialist in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics with Barts Health NHS Trust
- Both SATs are supported by an Athena SWAN Coordinator, Laura Simpson l.simpson@qmul.ac.uk , and an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Data Officer, Im Hussain im.hussain@qmul.ac.uk .
Some examples of our initiatives are below:
- Implementation of Queen Mary wide policy, such as the new Menopause Policy and Fertility Treatment Policy.
- Networking opportunities and mentoring schemes for female staff
- Promotions network for female academic staff, providing peer to peer workshops and promotions resources and information.
- CEA workshops and mentoring
- More visible female role models around the campus.
- Improved quality of staff and student data.
- EDI/Athena SWAN standing agenda item on all senior board meetings
- All major panels relating to academic promtion, staff bonus scheme or the REF are observed by a senior EDI represenatative
- All recruitment panels must meet gender targets and recruiting staff must attend unconscious bias training sessions
- Improved communications to staff via newsletters, emails, social media and plasmas screens.
Race equality
BMA racial harassment charter for medical schools
We are delighted to announce that the School of Medicine and Dentistry has joined the BMA racial harassment charter for medical schools.
The charters sets out clear standards for medical schools, including support and training on how to respond when such behaviour is seen or experienced. As part of the charter, we will need to establish and implement an action plan, and this will be uploaded here when it is ready.
Barts and The London BMA Racial Harassment Charter [PDF 148KB]
Raising concerns during the clinical environment
Anti-Racism Steering Committee in the School of Medicine and Dentistry
Who are we?
We are ARSC (Anti-Racism Steering Committee): a student-staff collaboration to help actively address issues of race & racism within our curriculums. We want to represent all of BL SMD and currently have student & staff representatives for Medicine, Dentistry, Physician Associates and Global Health. We are working towards having representation from all courses and will be sending out application forms in the near future for unfilled positions.
Why were we created?
We were set up following the recent unrest and Black Lives Matter protesting in the wake of the unlawful killing of George Floyd & many others, and increased awareness of systemic racism in our societies. In addition, much conversation has rightly centered the racial health disparities in mortality rates from COVID-19, further exposing the health, social and racial inequities that have been present for so long.
It has become clear that we can no longer stand and allow these and countless other issues to be side-lined; we need collaborative work to enact long-lasting change.
Steering Committee members
The steering committee is a student-staff collaborative initiative and currently includes students and staff from Medicine, Dentistry, Physician Associate, Malta and Allied Healthcare Courses.
Thaarabi Tharmapathy –BLSA BAME Student Representative and Student Lead
Yasmine Saima Jabbar – British Medical Association (BMA) Student Representative
Jed Ashman – Phase 1 Student Lead
Guilia Olayemi – Phase 1 Student Lead
Sally Mohammed – Phase 2 Student Lead
Christine Joerres – Phase 2 Student Lead
Halima Okewole – Phase 3 Student Lead
Rakin Choudhury – BLSA Alumni Rep / Phase 3 Student Lead
Ehsan Gauher – Gozo Society President (Malta)
Angie Anifalaje – Malta Student Representative
Milton Justinsuthakaran – Dental President
Mollie Cronin – Global Health Course Representative
Dr Riya George – Co-Chair of EDI SMD Committee
Dr Nimesh Patel – Head of Assessment
Dr Wendy Lowe – Senior Lecturer in Medical Education
Dr Lucy Carter – Physician Associate Lecturer
Dr Deepa Shah – Clinical Lecturer/ Co-lead on Yr 3 GP teaching, CBME
Dr Devina Raval – Senior Lecturer/Lead in Clinical Skills (London)
Ms Gina Baker – Academic and Wellbeing Support in Malta
Professor Mangala Patel – Professor of Bio Dental Materials
Dr Shahrar Ali – IHSE EDI Lead
Key documents
Barts and The London BMA Racial Harassment Charter [PDF 148KB]
Anti-Racism Committee Governance Structure [PDF 907KB]
Anti-Racism Medicine 2020 Survey Results [PDF 1,918KB]
Anti-Racism Physician Associate 2020 Survey report [PDF 871KB]
Anti-racism steering committee dictionary [PDF 530KB]
Anti-racism steering committee live resources document [DOC 40KB]
Widening Success
The experience of becoming a doctor/dentist for those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds can sometimes be challenging. It is a well-documented national finding that BAME medical and dental students under-perform in examinations compared to their White counterparts, what is not clear is why this might be? Reducing differential outcomes and improving the experience for BAME students is an institutional priority for many UK medical and dental schools.
The Westfield funded research project developed in collaboration with Medical and Dental Schools aims to understand and address these challenges. It describes the emergence of a collaborative interdisciplinary working group with faculties from the School of Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, Engagement, Retention and Success and Educational Development. A key component of the research is also working collaboratively with students to develop findings and instigate change.
The research team completed the medical and dental interviews and are in the process of analysing the quantitative and qualitative data. The collaborative team will complete the study in Autumn 2020.
Widening success [PDF 18,650KB]
Research team: Dr Riya George (Chair of the Differential Attainment Research Group), Professor Mangala Patel, Dr Aylin Baysan, Emma Kennedy, Harris Harris Nageswaran, Diego Bunge and Wafaa Muhiddin.
