Medical schools are ‘failing to deal with racism’ towards students

Eleanor Busby reports that examples of racial abuse and disrespect are 'countless', according to one undergraduate

Two in five medical students are from ethnic minority backgrounds (Getty Images)

Medical schools in the UK are failing to deal with racism and racial harassment directed at black and ethnic minority students, an investigation suggests.

Only half of medical schools collect data on students’ complaints about racial abuse, according to freedom of information requests obtained by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

The findings from the investigation suggest high levels of under reporting of racism as only 11 complaints were recorded across all the medical schools that collected data since 2010.

Two in five medical students are from ethnic minority backgrounds, compared with 22 per cent in universities, but the doctors’ union has said their confidence and learning is being damaged by racism.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of council at the British Medical Association (BMA), has said racial harassment “contributes to the ethnic attainment gap that emerges through medical education and training.”

He said: “Medical students are the future of the profession. They need to know that they can expect an inclusive and safe environment at medical school and on work placements.” .

Toni Robinson, a black medical student and a member of the BMA medical students committee, said that “examples of racial abuse and disrespect are countless”.

Describing her own encounter with racial harassment, she said: “I once experienced a patient calling me a ‘golliwog’ whilst on a ward round where the other students and consultant didn’t acknowledge it at all, leaving me feeling intimidated and embarrassed that none of my peers supported me.”

The investigation also found that a number of medical schools do not have a protocol for dealing with complaints from students about racial incidents that occur on placements in hospitals or GP surgeries.

One medical student told the BMJ: “People have made monkey noises at me [during a clinical placement in a very racially uniform part of the UK.] I tried to forget how that made me feel. I repressed it.”

The BMA has launched a charter for medical schools to prevent racial harassment and provide support to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) students.

It comes after an Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) inquiry last year found that around a quarter of minority ethnic students said they had experienced racial harassment during their studies.

Dr Nagpaul added: “[Medical students from ethnic minority backgrounds] have worked hard to get to medical school and have big aspirations.

“However, their experiences once there may not live up to expectations, with some experiencing undermining, microaggressions, and racial harassment on campus and on work placements.”

Professor John Atherton, co-chair of the Medical Schools Council, said: “Medical schools have a zero-tolerance policy regarding racism and harassment.

“We are saddened to hear of the difficult experiences faced by some BAME students and the issues they have faced with reporting these incidents.”

He added: “There is clearly much more work to be done to ensure all students feel safe and supported both at medical school and on placement. Medical schools understand that to ensure meaningful and lasting change, students must be at the centre of the conversation.”