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If you couldnt attend my talk yesterday on increasing diversity in Clinical Psychology (#DiversifyClinPsy) I'll try summarize it in 8 Tweets (it was quite long!)
1/8: People from BME backgrounds have been under-represented in CP training for years but NOT because they dont apply!
1/8: People from BME backgrounds have been under-represented in CP training for years but NOT because they dont apply!
2/8: People who identify as being from a Black or Ethnic Minority group are just as likely to apply as those who identify as White British. The problem is that they are much LESS LIKELY to be admitted.
3/8: The disparity in otucomes is primarily at the shortlisting stage of the admissions process. The vast majority of applications from people from BME backgrounds don't make it past this stage, if they do then outcomes at the interview stage are similar.
4/8: A @BPSOfficial report 15 yrs ago stated the problem very clearly. However, since then the problem has NOT improved, if anything it has got WORSE. Use of pre-screening tests & outreach/mentoring have been tried by courses but neither have significantly improved the disparity
5/8: This is because the admissions process looks at attainment mainly in terms of academics & experience but ignores the effect of social advantage that has gone before. Indeed the effect of advantage can even be magnified by separate weightings for A-levels, UG degree & Masters
6/8: We know that academic attainment at both school & undergraduate level is significantly associated with ethnic background, therefore any over-reliance on academic attainment in the short-listing process disproportionately affects BME applicants.
7/8: The goal of the clinical psychology admissions process is not simply to reflect past attainment but to identify future potential to become an excellent clinical psychologist. We can only achieve this by minimizing the effects of disadvantage & seeing applicants holistically.
8/8: We know what the problem is, there are clearly broad structural causes but there are many things that can be done by courses right now; we need to think differently and take ACTION.
8.5/8!: ps The recommendations are challenging but we are not alone. Seeing applicants in context is now widely used in undergraduate admissions (@officestudents, @_TheFEA) & for graduate recruitment in other professions e.g. Law (@Rare_London) #diversifyclinpsy - NOW! 👨🏻🎓👩🏿🎓👩🏽🎓👩🏼🎓👨🏿🎓
