The reverse mentoring scheme, launched in 2020, aims to increase inclusivity in the faculty and to help reduce the attainment/awarding gaps in our programmes. It hopes to achieve these aims by giving those in leadership roles greater insight into the experiences and challenges of underrepresented students and students with protected characteristics by providing the opportunity to engage in honest, open and respectful dialogue. The insights generated from previous reverse mentoring schemes have contributed to improving the educational and professional experience of our diverse student and staff community, increasing the inclusive culture of the Faculty.
This year we recruited 15 mentor/mentee pairs from the faculty and Trusts. we will share the outcomes and evaluation from this round of the scheme later in the year.
The reverse mentoring (RM) scheme is structured so mentees and mentors can identify and discuss ideas for change that can then be taken forward for further consideration and, where possible, action. Students from minority backgrounds, frequently struggle to fit in to medical schools and to find their sense of belonging and identity.
The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton has a strong commitment to welcoming students from a wide range of backgrounds through its range of undergraduate programmes. However, programme evaluations and studies show that students continue to feel marginalised for a variety of reasons. Examples of this are the lack of understanding from staff and other students, high rates of imposter syndrome, financial difficulties, and a ‘white-centric’ curriculum with a lack of BAME clinical examples, resources, staff and sim patients.
To help the faculty understand the perspectives and challenges that students from minority backgrounds face, and therefore be able to provide them with the appropriate support, the reverse mentoring (RM) scheme was piloted with students from underrepresented backgrounds across the UG programmes and senior faculty staff. The RM scheme is designed to create safe spaces for difficult conversations, to challenge assumptions and perspectives and to identify positive ways in which staff and students can work together to:
- Create a more inclusive learning and working environment within the Faculty of Medicine
- Reduce the attainment gap for students from underrepresented and minority backgrounds
An evaluation of the impact on mentees can be found here: Challenging the Student Deficit Discourse