Who is involved – students
Student Inclusivity Reps
Six new Student Inclusivity Reps were appointed in October 2021. The reps will work closely with the BSMS inclusivity team helping to promote, support and develop inclusivity initiatives across all intersections. Read their bios below.
Chair
Fatima Chawdhery - m.chawdhery1@uni.bsms.ac.uk
I’m Fatima, I graduated in Biomedical Science and am currently a second-year medical student at BSMS. It is very important to understand that there are many intersectional issues not just within BSMS as an institution but within the curriculum itself. Therefore, I believe that the medical school has a key role in training their students to not only understand the impact of societal inequity but to become advocates and allies, particularly for the marginalised communities that students will go on to work with. The inclusivity team is here to act as a key link between staff and students and I am passionate about promoting, supporting, and developing initiatives to stamp out all forms of harassment and discrimination. Some of the work we will be involved in includes helping to decolonise and bring to the forefront the ‘hidden’ medical curriculum, helping to widen access for under-represented groups into medicine, and challenging oppressive beliefs and behaviours. I am excited to meet all of you and would love to hear your views regarding inclusivity at BSMS, so that together we can bring about even the smallest form of positive change. If you have any concerns, questions, or comments please feel free to get in touch with me or any members of the team.
Events Coordinators
Ellie Craven – e.craven1@uni.bsms.ac.uk
I’m Ellie and I am a 4th year medical student at BSMS, having recently intercalated in Public Health at LSHTM. I am interested in widening accessibility of health services to marginalised groups, with a focus on homeless and vulnerably housed patients. I believe that, to improve the treatment and experiences of our patients, we have to first tackle stigma and discrimination within the workplace, including racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia and sexism. I'm really excited to work with the Inclusivity Team and to help make BSMS a more welcoming place for all. Please feel free to approach me with your thoughts and feedback about how we can make BSMS more inclusive.
Jessica Zhu – J.ZhuZhang1@uni.bsms.ac.uk
I am a first year medical student and inclusivity rep. I have been engaging in students’ interest and working in diversity and inclusivity since my undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences. My experiences come from my past roles, such as student representative, President of an academic society, and also from my early participation and organsation of Model United Nations conferences and community-based projects throughout high school. I am committed to helping students and to be a contact point for any problem that students might encounter throughout their medical school journey.
Student Liaison Officers
Amelia Priest – a.priest1@uni.bsms.ac.uk
Hi, I’m Amelia, but feel free to call me Mims! I’m a first year medical student, I’m a huge nerd, and I’m really looking forward to working with the rest of the reps to help improve inclusivity at BSMS. Whilst at secondary school, I did a lot of work on LGBTQ+ issues, and I hope to be a face you can come to about any problem regarding inclusivity. It’s great to be doing this, and I can’t wait to see what we get done over the next year or so!
Uleeti Al-Sakat – U.Al-Sakat1@uni.bsms.ac.uk
I’m Uleeti and I’m a first year medical student at BSMS. I am interested in the welfare of students regarding discrimination and diversity and aim to help maintain and fortify a culture of equality and patience here. I am committed to helping create an accepting and educating space for students, where they feel that their opinions and queries are welcome and listened to. I hope to promote my belief that awareness and continual education about minority groups and discrimination is crucial in practice and will generally make patients feel more comfortable. If you have any concerns or questions regarding inclusivity at BSMS or any suggestions about how to improve or promote it, please feel free to contact me!
Social Media Manager
Nawal Rashid – n.rashid2@uni.bsms.ac.uk
Hi, I’m Nawal, a first-year inclusivity rep. I am an international graduate student born in Pakistan and raised in Dubai. This year I will be managing the social media channels for the inclusivity team. I am very enthusiastic about building an inclusive environment, which I have previously been involved in during my undergraduate degree through undertaking leadership roles such as Welfare Officer and Student Representative. These have allowed me to better understand underlying issues students have in terms of feeling included in such a dynamic environment and gain appropriate experiences which I hope to bring to BSMS. Please feel free to contact me with any issues that you might be having regarding inclusivity and how we can keep working together to improve inclusivity at BSMS.