‘Melanin Matters’ – A student-led skin diversity project

A group of Exeter medical students established ‘Melanin Matters’ to expand the dialogue surrounding ethnic diversity in medicine, with a view to facilitate curriculum change which better reflects the global patient population. Project Lead, Natasha, shares how it all started and the next steps below.

Why was ‘Melanin Matters’ initiated?

For too long, ethnic minority patients have been overlooked in medical teaching and clinical practice. Regrettably, the static, one-size-fits-all patient model in research and education has contributed to significant healthcare disparities, which continue to have an adverse impact on lived experiences of minority ethnic individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we witnessed the disproportionate suffering of ethnic minority communities when compared with their white counterparts. From a learning standpoint, as preclinical medical students studying the fundamentals of dermatology and clinical skills, we could not help but notice the dearth of educational resources in skin of colour, both across our taught curriculum and in wider research. These realisations were further cemented through our clinical placements, as we became increasingly aware that the population demographic of the Southwest did not adequately expose us to ethnically diverse patients, where medical conditions may present differently or require modified management plans. Hence, ‘Melanin Matters’ was launched with a view to catalyse discussion around actively diversifying curricula, improving patient representation, and raising awareness of healthcare inequalities. We hoped that our project outcomes would better prepare future healthcare professionals to practise confidently and competently across a range of clinical settings, and contribute to establishing equal patient experiences, regardless of skin tone.

An example of a poster used by the team at the Exeter Respect Festival.

 

What have we done so far?

The project officially launched at the Exeter Respect Festival 2022, supported by the Guild ‘Equality, Diversity and Inclusion’ grant, primarily striving to raise public awareness of sun safety, common skin conditions, and how these may present differently in skin of colour. The team curated an interactive stall with posters and anatomical models to engage with the public and conducted a survey to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. We engaged in a vast array of interesting, in-depth conversations, and were overwhelmed by the intrigue and support for our project. Such positive public reception led us to realise the capacity for our project to extend beyond a two-day festival stall, but rather contribute to conversations and consequent change within our medical school and wider community. Since then, we have had the privilege of publishing two academic papers: ‘A student-led public education project on dermatology in skin of colour’ in 2022 and Students bridging the diversity gap in dermatology—A mixed methods study of medical education in 2023.  We have also presented at meetings with senior leadership of the medical school, and our work showcased on BBC Spotlight and Global, in addition to returning to Exeter Respect Festival 2023 I applied to the Exeter Education Incubator Fund during the last academic year, in the hope that we could have some additional support in maximising the impact of our project activities. Therefore, we have also kindly been funded and offered extensive guidance by the Education Incubator team.

Photo taken with BBC Southwest Reporter, Kirk England. (October 2023)

 

What are we hoping to achieve moving forward?

Support from the Education Incubator and medical school has allowed us to expedite the next phase of our project – brand and website development. We learnt of the Digital Makerspace team, who very kindly lent us equipment to film masterclasses on dermatology in skin of colour. Our team has also liaised with various stakeholders, including members of the British Association of Dermatologists and local dermatologists on navigating website development, and we are working alongside an external company to bring this vision to life over the coming weeks. It has been so rewarding to experience the success of our project since its inception, and we are so thankful to the university for continuing to support our progress. We are particularly grateful to Dr Musarrat Maisha Reza, whose inspiring and unwavering commitment to furthering the EDI agenda has propelled the reach of our work.

‘It has been an absolute privilege for me to supervise the Melanin Matters project which is changing the conversation around healthcare inequalities faced by ethnic minority individuals in our rapidly diversifying UK populations. Student led projects like these are essential to accelerate change within the medical education curriculum in the UK. I am immensely proud of this team and what they have already achieved in such a short time. Really looking forward to the nationwide impact of this project.’ ~Dr Musarrat Maisha Reza

Following the launch of our website and social platforms, we plan to hold a conference next year with the theme of decolonising medicine and health with the medical school to encourage collaborative discussion between academics and students, with workshops on different EDI themes to brainstorm new ideas and initiatives. We cannot wait to get more students and staff involved in the future of our project, who share our vision of improving representation in medical teaching and practice.

Contact:

melaninmattersteam@gmail.com

@melaninmattersteam

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