Racism in medicine

BMJ special issue on racism in medicine

The BMJ‘s special issue on racism in medicine reflects the working lives of doctors from ethnic minority backgrounds and the healthcare experiences of ethnic minority patients. This edition focuses on race and its impact on health. It is a timely reflection, as we in the UK try to make sense of the societal upheavals which have convulsed the country in recent times, and in which race, racism, and power have come under close scrutiny.

Zosia Kmietowicz, News editor and the editorial lead for our special issue, discusses what inspired us to make an issue focused on racism and medicine, and how we did it.

It is a truism to say that words matter, but it is especially the case when talking about an issue defined by power and prejudice. We had a number of discussions about language in the course of putting the journal together, covering everything from the difference between race and ethnicity to the various terms used to describe people. Navjoyt Ladher, Head of education, explains how we decided what terms to use

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Editor’s Choice

• It’s time to act on racism in the NHS
  Our guest editors, Victor Adebowale and Mala Rao, call for action on racism in medicine

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Investigation

• Are medical schools turning a blind eye to racism?
  A BMJ investigation finds that medical schools are failing to monitor racial harassment and abuse of ethnic minority students. Zosia Kmietowicz reports

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Editorial

• Racism in medicine: why equality matters to everyone
  A race equality observatory is needed to provide leadership and data
• Neglect of older ethnic minority people in UK research and policy
  Exclusion from population studies is a form of institutional racism
• Differential attainment in medical education and training
  A systemic problem requiring openness and strong leadership

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Feature

• Taking the difference out of attainment
  UK doctors from ethnic minorities don’t do as well as white doctors in academic tests and securing the top jobs. Samara Linton looks for solutions
• Can we trust AI not to further embed racial bias and prejudice?
  Is there a risk AI could compound inequalities? Poppy Noor investigates
• What lies beneath: getting under the skin of GMC referrals
  Aisha Majid asks why ethnic minority doctors are more likely to be investigated by the UK’s medical regulator and what is being done about it
• Ethnic disparities in maternal care
  Black and ethnic minority women are paying with their lives for the lack of action on racial bias, reports Lilian Anekwe
• Harnessing the outrage: it’s time the NHS tackled racial bias
  To call itself fair and equitable, the NHS must act on racism, says David Williams, the global expert on the effects of race on health. Lilian Anekwe reports
• Dinesh Bhugra: Loving the sound of breaking glass
  From using a streetlight to study during his childhood in an industrial town in India to becoming president of the World Psychiatric Association, Dinesh Bhugra has led a remarkable life
• Yvonne Coghill: cultural transformation through conversation
  The Royal College of Nursing deputy president charged with making the NHS a fairer place to work for ethnic minority staff tells Helen Jones about her plans for success

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Opinion

• All diversity is not created equal
  while all physicians from ethnic minorities may experience discrimination, it doesn’t always look the same, says Arundhati Dhara
• We need to talk about racism
  Until we talk about racism openly and teach doctors and medical students how to tackle it, we won’t see real change, says Saroo Sharda
• Women from ethnic minorities face endemic structural racism when seeking and accessing healthcare
  A Cultural Safety model provides the key to unlocking the door to equality in maternity care, say Amali Lokugamage and Alice Meredith
• The perils of researching racial discrimination
  Twenty five years on from the publication of their landmark paper on racism in medicine, Aneez Esmail and Sam Everington discuss their experience of calling out the issue
• Don’t call me Bibi—or anybody else, for that matter
  Let’s ditch the term “Bibi-itis” says Fizzah Ali
• Partha Kar: Sadda haq, aithe rakh
  Be proud of what you are and where you come from, says Partha Kar
• Rammya Mathew: Racism in medicine—migrant doctors aren’t here just to “fill a gap”
  Rammya Mathew reflects on the challenges her parents faced working in the NHS
• Helen Salisbury: Responding to racism
  As well as policing myself, I must respond when racism arises in the behaviour of others, says Helen Salisbury
• David Oliver: Racism in medicine—what ethnic minority doctors told me on Twitter
  David Oliver discusses what he learnt from responses on Twitter
• Communities that prefer close blood marriages need more help to access genetic services
  Fear, inadequate knowledge, and assumptions about cultural beliefs, result in missed opportunities to support access to genetic counselling, say Naz Khan and Sarah Salway
• Ethnic minority NHS staff need to lead on climate action
  We must shape the collective activism necessary to create a better and more equal NHS which demonstrates its leadership in climate action, says Mala Rao

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News

• Specialty training: ethnic minority doctors’ reduced chance of being appointed is “unacceptable”
  More than 25 years after two GPs uncovered bias in appointments to specialty training posts, new data show that the ethnicity gap persists, reports Gareth Iacobucci
• Tackling racism in medical schools: five minutes with . . . Gurdas Singh
  The co-chair of the BMA’s Medical Students Committee talks about why students need guidance on preventing and dealing with racial harassment
• White doctors are still over-represented in top NHS jobs, study finds
  The NHS favours white candidates when hiring for its most prestigious and highly paid positions, researchers have found
• Birthing care without racism: five minutes with . . . Kimberly Seals Allers
  The author and maternal and infant health strategist explains why she’s determined to tackle the racism and bias that evidence shows is inherent in birth and breastfeeding care

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Analysis

• Transforming the health system for the UK’s multiethnic population
  The UK health system must take urgent action to better understand and meet the health needs of migrants and ethnic minority people, say Sarah Salway and colleagues

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Careers clinic

• Can patients use family members as non-professional interpreters in consultations?
  In an emergency, when a patient doesn’t speak your language, it can be tempting to ask a colleague or family member to interpret. This, however, comes with its own risks, as three experts tell Abi Rimmer

General Information:

• Corporate Author: BMJ
• Publication Year: 2020
• This item is about these countries: Global
• Theme: Other Themes
• URL: https://www.bmj.com/racism-in-medicine