Thread by @dermotfeenan

It could be argued that medical schools are not simply ‘ill prepared to deal with the racism and racial harassment experienced by ethnic minority students’ but are, generally, prepared to NOT deal with such racism and racial harassment. #RacismInMedicine

bmj.com/content/368/bm…

Medical schools are institutionally part of universities, which are public authorities having the following duty under the Equality Act 2010, section 149(1) (bit.ly/37ri0dl):

Failure to collect data on students’ complaints about racism and racial harassment suggests that a number of schools (and by association their universities) are abdicating responsibility to meet their legislative duties.

The article refers to a report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission regarding racial harassment in universities in the UK (though the report was limited in jurisdictional scope only to publicly-funded universities in Britain), but does not make this crucial link.

One step that might be taken by those advocating within medicine for measures to tackle racism and racial harassment is to publicly request of university vice chancellors and deans of medical schools detail of what action they have taken under section 149(1) of the Equality Act.

If they have not done so, publish this. Then, ask publicly what steps and within what timeframe will they be meeting their duties. If, upon expiry of that period, those steps have not been met or appear inadequate, make this information available publicly and notify the EHRC.

The article also reports Dr Chaand Nagpaul, Chair of Council of the BMA, saying that the Medical Schools Council (MSC), amongst others, should require medical schools to have a systematic approach to training of staff and collecting feedback from students. Let’s look at the MSC.

Part of the MSC’s mission is: “To focus on equality, diversity and inclusivity, to enhance clinical leadership and develop leaders within medical schools.” To ‘focus’ as an objective is vague, imprecise and inadequate. If the MSC is to play a role, this objective must be amended.

The MSC has an Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Advisory Group, but the initiatives listed on its webpage (bit.ly/2OWQApj) are predictable and ineffectual approaches that have been found wanting time and time again by critical scholars on racism and racial harassment.

The Council states weakly that it cannot influence promotion practices in its member institutions (below). Yet, promotion is an area where racism and racial harassment can adversely affect BAME staff, and for which there are many examples of good practice to address such effects.

The MSC consists of 42 medical schools including one post-graduate school. Its meetings are attended by representatives from the medical schools. Of the 41 representatives listed on the MSC website (bit.ly/39LMtVh) these appear to be 90% white, 73% male.

The deanship of a medical school is freighted with authority, status, power, and wealth. These posts are prized. Who gets appointed is a reflection of the social factors such as race, class etc. which confer privilege or entail disadvantage.

One, among many measures, to redress such privilege is for medical schools to include as a criterion of appointment and promotion a requirement that candidates evidence what they have done, when, and to what effect to promote equality, including the countering of racism.