The Pharmaceutical Journal recently revealed for the first time that a significantly lower proportion of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) students are awarded a higher MPharm degree, compared with their white counterparts.
In the first podcast, we aimed to explore the issues raised by our investigation and give BAME students the opportunity to describe what it feels like going to university to study pharmacy. In this second part, we look at practical solutions to how the MPharm ethnicity awarding gap can be closed.
We speak with two UK pharmacy schools — Reading and Wolverhampton — that are working hard to tackle this issue and ask the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) what it intends to do to ensure that BAME students are given the same chances of receiving a higher degree.
Looking outside pharmacy, we also speak with a recognised expert about how universities can tackle their ethnicity awarding gaps, as well as discussing what works and, crucially, what does not.
Thank you to the following for their participation in this podcast:
- Katrina Bicknell, head of the school of pharmacy at the University of Reading
- Alan Hindle, principal lecturer at the school of pharmacy at the University of Wolverhampton
- Mark Voce, director of education and standards at the GPhC
- Nona McDuff, pro vice-chancellor for students and teaching at Solent University
Presented by: Angela Kam and Nigel Praities. Producer: Geoff Marsh.
Listen to part one: MPharm awarding gap: the BAME student experience at university (audio)
Read more about this issue: Making the MPharm fairer: what can be done about the ethnicity awarding gap?
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