Skip to main contentSkip to footer
students in dissection theatre
Brighton & Sussex Medical School

Race Equality work

BSMS > About BSMS > Working here > Inclusivity > Race Equality work

Race Equality work

Find out what BSMS is doing to promote race equality, how you can get involved and explore resources that may be of interest.
BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Decolonising the Curriculum

BSMS is committed to the Inclusive Practice Partners (IPP) scheme, a programme designed to empower students and staff to work together to decolonise the curriculum. Dr Muna Al-Jawad (Undergraduate Curriculum Lead) works with undergraduate medical students and faculty to develop our curriculum to be inclusive to and of marginalised groups and their intersections. This has resulted many changes related to diversifying case studies and images; becoming more open about the history and politics of medicine; and tackling teaching practices that might exclude some students. The anatomy curriculum has been extended to include trans anatomy, gender affirmation surgery, Intersex anatomy, diversity of pelvic shape and Sickle cell anatomy/pathology. The team recognise there is much more work to do and welcome feedback from students and faculty.

Anti-Racism Forums

BSMS hosted a series of school wide Anti-Racism Forums from 2020 to 2022, in order to provide a safe space for students and staff to share their experiences of racism within the school and welcome critical discussion, concerns and contributions. Software was provided to ensure attendees could submit comments and questions anonymously without the concern of feeling uncomfortable. At the end of 2022, these forums transformed into broader Inclusivity forums – the format remains the same however we encourage students and staff to bring any concerns related to equality, diversity, discrimination, or harassment. Actions are monitored, taken to senior committees, and shared in staff and student newsletters to ensure continuity and transparency throughout the school.

For further information please email inclusivity@bsms.ac.uk 

Race Equality Charters 

British Medical Association – Racial Harassment Charter 

BSMS committed to the British Medical Association’s (BMA) Racial Harassment Charter in 2020 during the Black Lives Matter movement. The BMA Racial Harassment Charter provides a framework of actions to help prevent and address racial inequity and harassment and to help medical schools work towards identifying and tackling institutional and cultural barriers.

Read more about the BMA Racial Harassment Charter here >

Institutional Race Equality Charters

The Universities of Brighton and Sussex are members of Advance HE’s Race Equality Charter.

The charter is aimed at improving the representation, progression and success of minority ethnic staff and students within higher education. It provides a framework through which institutions work to identify and self-reflect on institutional and cultural barriers standing in the way of minority ethnic staff and students and covers:

  • professional and support staff
  • academic staff
  • student progression and attainment
  • diversity of the curriculum

University of Brighton

The University of Brighton currently holds a Bronze Race Equality Charter award.

Read more here >

University of Sussex

The University of Sussex currently holds a Bronze Race Equality Charter award.

Read more here > 

BACKGROUND IMAGE FOR PANEL

Resources