There is a lot of activity around diversity education right now. As I see it, the activity focuses on two inter-connected goals. One goal is to create a more inclusive school culture and learning experiences for both staff and students. The complementary goal is to equip students to be citizens and professionals who aim to make the world fair and just for all. Principles of inclusion, lifelong learning and authenticity guide these activities. Read more
Social biases, stereotypes and stigmas linked to protected groups (see Equality Act) are disrupting education for students. This happens in various ways: from the triggering of stereotype threat which compounds learners’ emotional and cognitive loads (Bullock et al, 2020) to restricting a sense of belonging and not feeling safe in coming forward with concerns or struggles faced (e.g. in terms of mental health or specific learning difficulties). Read more
We are committee members of DIMAH (Diversity in Medicine and Health), a national collaborative organisation in the UK. We write in response to Black Lives Matter movement and the international response to the police murder of George Floyd on 25 May 2020 in the USA. Read more
This conference was held on 9th May 2019 10am-5pm at the Foresight Centre, University of Liverpool. We aimed to build on the success of our first conference and encourage health care academics and trainers to bring students to continue the conversation about how diversity issues are being embedded in the curriculum.
At the conference, we heard students’ perspectives on issues such as equity, inclusion and diversity curriculum development. In past years DIMAH has focused exclusively on curriculum development but at this conference we want to emphasise the importance of making links between diversity curriculum change and the attainment gap. It is so important we don’t work in silos on these issues and that we learn from all the health care curricula and students.
Conference Themes
Staff Development
Student Experience
Attainment gap
Curriculum Development
Sharing Resources
Inclusion and Health
Educational Research
Keynotes Speakers:
Dr Katherine Woolf – Senior Lecturer, UCL. Expertise in and published research on diversity in medical education
Sarah Lasoye – NUS Women’s Officer 2018-19
Bankolu Alo – Medical Student, St.George’s Medical School
Medical Schools Council
The 2019 DIMAH conference was an indelible success with an opportunity to really immerse in discussions on diversity through inspiring workshops and talks. The following are some of the workshops presented at the conference:
What Does Inclusivity in Professional Education Mean to You ? by Dr Valerie Farnsworth
After the success of our 2nd conference, we would like to share our vision with more institutions, healthcare providers and students. Join in our work!