Our medical students had OSCEs this week.
Many will have stayed up watching election coverage, maybe been a bit tired the next day. Maybe needed an extra coffee to be awake enough.

The story is different for some of our students from minority groups, however. [1/11]

Waiting night after night to see whether they'll maybe be able to see their families again, or whether the ban on them entering the US will remain under Trump again. [2/11]

Having panic attacks at the prospect of their LGBTQ+ loved ones across the pond having their rights stripped away. At their black family members being threatened with violence or worse. [3/11]

It's easy to see all our students as facing the same challenges - OSCE exams, finals revision, the standard stressors.

But the additional burdens that our minority students face are orders of magnitude greater, and we NEVER take this into account. [4/11]

Why can't we as educators think about what's happening in the world, and how things might affect our students differently? [5/11]

Last year an Iranian medical student friend of mine asked the medical school for some additional allowances during exams as the insurmountable stress from state-led violence in his home country, where his family still lived, had significantly affected revision. [6/11]

The medical school said this wasn't ground for any special circumstances. Despite the fact that the student's family were in very real danger of being tortured and killed. No allowances were made. [7/11]

More recently, we should have proactively sent a message to students offering help and support, particularly around exams, to anyone affected by the state violence in Nigeria. I managed it for doctors in training, but nothing for students. [8/11]

As leaders and as educators we should recognise that for many minority groups, last week's election climax was more than just a few late nights. It was fear, it was dread, and it was panic. We should be aware of how things might affect the people we're supposed to support. [9/11]

What does this look like?

It should be proactive messages of support in response to world events. It should be signposting to specific support services. It should be allowances for concurrent events such as exams (e.g. second sits instead of resits) [10/11]

These are the absolute minimum we should be doing as leaders and educators for our students. Recognising that the stressors and barriers and burdens faced by our minority students, especially multi-minority, are beyond what most people will ever face. And then helping them. [END]

[12/11] There's a reason such a high proportion of those out in the streets celebrating in the US are people of colour and people from the LGBTQ+ community. They're not out there having a party. They are rejoicing that they might no longer be persecuted.

[13/11] For folk not from minority groups, it's hard to grasp quite how much an effect last week will have had on us. It's not just business as usual. And yes, all students are under extra stress due to covid and restrictions. Even more reason to reach out to the most vulnerable.

[END END] I just want to say to any medical students from minority groups, and particularly our queer students of colour...I see you. I hear you. You are doing just fine.