School of Medicine: Widening representation in the curricula
Patient partner recruitment
The Medical School has volunteer ‘patient partners’ who are experts at living with their medical conditions, plus simulated patients. The patients work in partnership with the University and work collaboratively with the medical students. These individuals contribute to the students’ clinical skills and communication skills training. Generally, the volunteer partners that the University attracted were white, retired academics. In recognition that this is not representative of the student body or of the local communities that students will be working in once qualified, the School embarked on outreach activity to diversify the patient partner bank and volunteer patients to ensure greater representation and diversity in terms of age, gender and race. The School wanted their students to be able to see themselves in their patient partners and simulated patients, as well as improving their clinical skills.
Representation matters manikins
The School of Medicine has diversified the type of manikins used during clinical skills sessions, in addition to the historically white manikins, the School have purchased manikins of different skin tones for use during classes, including arm manikins for demonstrating venepuncture and intravenous cannulation, pelvic manikins for demonstrating examination procedures, and breast manikins for demonstrating visual examinations on darker skins. In instances where models are unavailable, the School have ordered ‘skins’ in different skin tones, which can be used in conjunction with existing manikins.
Mind the gap
The School of Medicine uses a book entitled ‘Mind the gap: a handbook of clinical signs in Black and Brown skin’ by Mukwende, Tamony and Turner. This book is designed to help academics and clinicians teach students to recognise signs and symptoms on darker skin tones, to help mitigate the risk of misdiagnosis. The book features images of conditions on black and brown skin tones, which have been historically omitted in teaching. The University of St Andrews uses this resource during clinical teaching and practice. The book is accessible via St Andrews library, as an e-book.
Want to read more?
Diep D, Aluri B, Crane A, et al. (February 15, 2022) Stevens-Johnson Syndrome in a Patient of Color: A Case Report and an Assessment of Diversity in Medical Education Resources. Cureus 14(2): e22245. doi:10.7759/cureus.22245
Mbaki Y, Todorova E, Hagan P.Diversifying the medical curriculum as part of the wider decolonising effort: A proposed framework and self-assessment resource toolbox. Clin Teach. 2021;18:459–466.https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.13408466MBAKIET AL.