People
MedRACE is a student and staff working group within Leicester Medical School. Students take the lead on projects that interest them, contributing as little or as much as their other commitments permit.
The group is co-chaired by students and staff. Monthly meetings take place online (5.30pm first Thursday each month), we are always open to new members - both student and staff. Contact MedRACE@le.ac.uk for more information or to join.
Meet our previous student co-chairs.
Student Co-chairs
Ayesha Ahmad, Medical Student, Leicester Medical School
My name is Ayesha, and I’m a third-year medical student at UoL. I was introduced to MedRACE on offer holder day and was inspired by their impact on the university and local NHS trust policy.
Having lived in four countries, I have experienced many diverse practices; an opportunity that allowed me to recognise how race plays a fundamental role in our shared experiences. I am grateful to those who taught me different languages and cultural practices and instilled in me an appreciation of their value. Looking forward, I aspire to be a similar source of insight to others through working with MedRACE.
Education forms the very foundation of medicine, and medical students are the pioneers of future learning. Therefore, it is crucial to improve access to healthcare professions for minority students. I have contributed to initiatives such as Leicester’s JEM, the MedEd society, and introducing MedRACE’s efforts to outside visitors. I have also strived to drive change on an individual level, through volunteering within my local community, and co-founding my school’s BAME committee, where we focused on raising awareness of biases and celebrating different cultures.
As part of MedRACE, I aim to collaborate with pre-clinical students to make the medical school a more inclusive space. This includes advocating for better facilities in the GDC and reviewing the Phase 1 curriculum for potential improvements.
Outside of medicine, I enjoy growing plants and exploring Leicester’s nooks and crannies. I also like running and am keen to improve this skill in the future!
Olivia Nwoso, Medical Student, Leicester Medical School
My name is Olivia, I’m a 4th year medical student and I hope to become a portfolio GP with a special interest in medical education. In my free time, I enjoy listening to afrobeats music and reading my Kindle.
I am particularly interested in tackling inequalities. The first step in combatting differential attainment -differences in attainment based on people with protected characteristics, such as ethnicity and gender- is understanding the issues faced by underrepresented students. My main goal is to help students with protected characteristics access support that promotes their wellbeing. For example, I would like to use regular anonymous surveys to assess medical students’ experiences of harassment. I hope that prioritising recurrent issues, developing strategies, then making this information accessible to staff and students would help students to recognise and speak up against similar situations.
I feel there should be teaching on the use of inclusive, non-offensive language and common cultural practices so we are more mindful of traditions practised by both colleagues and patients, especially those related to healthcare provision. I believe our badges and/or lanyards should contain our preferred pronouns to avoid misgendering and the option to include the phonetic spellings of our preferred names to support correct pronunciation. I also think the photographs on our lanyards should have appropriate coloring to be truly representative of students of all skin tones.
By advocating for changes proposed by students, I hope to encourage students with protected characteristics to reach positions of leadership. I’m in my penultimate year and I would like to leave medical school knowing I have been part of a team that leaves a long-lasting positive impact.
Amardeep Sidki, Medical Student (Intercalating year), Leicester Medical School
My name is Amardeep and I am currently a Medical Student, intercalating between 4th and final year. I am from a Widening Participation (WP) background and entered Medical school through a Foundation Year.
Following Active Bystander training through MedRACE, it became apparent to me that creating an inclusive environment is not optional, but essential. Working with MedRACE has instilled confidence in me to realise that the barriers I once faced as a student from a WP background can be challenged and potentially overturned, with the support and backing of other students and staff.
Since joining MedRACE, I have helped change local NHS policy in order to permit the kara; a religious metal bangle worn by many Sikhs, into theatres as well as supported the delivery of EDI teaching sessions to students and patient educators. As a student co-chair, I am keen to get NHS policy changed nationally and to encourage pre-clinical year groups that they are supported.
Outside of MedRACE, I am interested in research and will be undertaking my intercalated Master’s here in Leicester. I enjoy travelling, hiking as well as exploring the hidden gems found in a charity shop!
MedRACE has allowed me to feel more comfortable when talking about EDI and I want to inspire and empower students to use their voice to challenge and reform existing frameworks. I feel honoured to be sharing this role with Kiran and I aspire to lead changes to support those from underrepresented backgrounds.
Staff co-chairs
Dr Shameq Sayeed, Director of the International Teaching Partnership (China), Leicester Medical School
I started my medical studies at the University of Oxford in 2001. On graduation and after initial clinical training, I spent two years studying towards a Masters in Epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. During this time, I also worked as a Clinical Research Fellow in the Cancer Epidemiology Unit in Oxford studying cancers in India and in ethnic minorities within the UK.
This was followed by an Academic Clinical Fellowship in General Practice with a particular interest in global health, primary care and family medicine. I continue to work with colleagues in Palestine towards the development of family practice and primary care as a core part of the Ministry of Health's strategy towards universal health coverage.
I have been a clinical tutor to medical students in Oxford over the last ten years and during this time completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, for which I was awarded a Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. I moved to the University of Leicester Medical School in 2020 as a Senior Clinical Educator, and am currently a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the International Partnership with Chongqing Medical University. In addition to working with colleagues in Leicester in developing and delivering teaching (primary care, MSc Clinical Education), I also work closely with students and staff in MedRACE towards ensuring a supportive and inclusive environment within the School.
Professor Kate Williams, Department of Population Health Sciences and Leicester Medical School
I trained as a nurse before studying a degree in Politics at Warwick University. I undertook a PhD in applied health research and worked at the National Institute for Nursing in Oxford as a research officer before joining Leicester University. In addition to my research and teaching activity I have held a range of citizenship roles that have allowed me to follow my interest in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) including leading applications for Athena Swan Silver awards (National awards for gender equality) at Department, College and University level and setting University and College strategy for EDI.
My roles include Programme Director for the Masters in Applied Health Research in the Department of Population Health Sciences, and Pastoral Support Unit (PSU) Advisor in Leicester Medical School. I work closely with students and staff as part of the MedRACE group and facilitate a range of student led projects that support inclusion.
