Hull York Medical School

thetruth · 12-04-2005, 06:30 AM

The North Yorkshire and Humberside Race and Homophobia Monitor (NYHRHM) is a regular publication produced in the wake of the forming of The Hull York Medical School. It receives homophobia and hate incident reports from staff and students anonymously. We have decided to collate and produce a report starting from the racism threads posted on medschoolguide.co.uk

http://www.medschoolguide.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=11685
http://www.medschoolguide.co.uk/foru...ad.php?t=11669
Namely this is occurring after a confidential discrimination survey was posted on medschoolguide.co.uk.

The Truths and "The Truth"
HYMS has gone to a majestic effort to understand levels of discrimination in its two campuses. This effort is applauded; it is the first medical school to do so.
BUT you have to remember the difference between HYMS performing outwards image conscious exercises such as this survey and promoting multiculturalism awareness AND the actual grassroots racism and homophobia present.
HYMS policy is never racist; its selection techniques are apparently some of the most stringent, avoiding the use of personal statements and identifying features of applicants. A medical school cannot exist with discriminatory policies. These days are long gone.
Users such as Halaku, Ama and Surahaman have unfairly and very inaccurately accused HYMS of a cover up.
Hate crimes have occurred at both HYMS campuses. BUT the survey is inaccurate and presented student statements grossly negligently. Statements from Hull and York students were mixed up. Students at these campuses experience very different styles of racism and homophobia.
The City of Hull is renowned for its open racism against visible-minority residents. BUT closer to the university district it is not such a problem. BUT the far right are operating in this area.
One Muslim HYMS student transferred from the Hull campus to the York campus after suffering racist abuse in a public place in Hull. Students of visible-minority origin have reported racial abuse on nights out and during shopping in the city centre. Openly gay students have received death threats from local residents in the City of Hull. REMEMBER Hull is city strife with poverty and poor social conditions. Expect the same level of racism in any other run down medical school city (some London schools come to mind). Unfortunately students have also reported homophobic/racist comments on the University of Hull campus. BUT this is dwarfed by the abuse received in the city.
HYMS York has different problems. Students have not reported receiving any or much racist or homophobic abuse in the City of York or the University of York campus. York is famous for being a mostly white city with no racism. The BNP have been unsuccessful in York. York surprisingly has one of the highest white conversion rates to Islam. It is a tourist city used to generations of international visitors and residents. The York HYMS Students have complained about racist comments made by other HYMS York medical students. Incidents reported to NYHRHM included racist jokes made during the Muslim fasting month.
A well-known problem was the apparent housing segregation of visible-minority Black and Asian students from white colleagues. Reports received complained of students of visible-minority being housed in a separate hall from other medical students. BUT this problem was only temporary and resolved when the medical students were dispersed randomly amongst other students.

Students of a visible-minority have reported racist behaviour by SOME HYMS staff (remember staff teach at BOTH sites).

NYHRHM think that there are two trains of thought in HYMS, one that aims to eradicate racism/homophobia by equality measures like the discrimination survey and an open application procedure. Then there is the train of thought that maintains old medical school racist values.
The Monitor has received many complaints about this camp. Recent incidents include:
- Visible-minority students being forcefully shouted at to remove their baseball caps “as these were a sign of "disrespect" to the lecturer”, whilst white colleagues were allowed to keep baseball caps on their heads
- Consistent complaints against certain support staff in the clinical placement team of different behaviour towards different ethnic groups.
- A Gay student being taunted by a lecturer after revealing their sexuality. The harassment continuing for 6 months until we intervened

The Tables Turned
White students have also reported cases of racism and harassment. The common misconception is that it is white students who complain about Muslim students. It is actually Christian students who complain about Muslim students and viceversa. Some Christian students feel that Muslim students make no effort to integrate. This is more widely reported to be true on the Hull campus. The York campus is reported to be suffering less of this, highly from housing segregation.
A minority of White students from HYMS MedSoc York reported to NYHRHM of the dangerous attitudes and actions of visible-minority students in York. Reports of Black and Asian gangs being formed is abundant of many complaints. One complaint said:
"There are a few second year students mostly asian who are from rough innercity areas that other people wouldn’t say anything against because of the actions these students would take against them. I have seen how irresponsible these few students are during the first couple of weeks of term. I think they should be monitored carefully.
They have formed a gang and recruit other innercity boys (not medics). This creates a climate of fear. They have harassed me many times. You don't dare say anything against them, there is such a fear of retaliation. I know that they have drugs and guns, what kind of future doctors are they? I think that all students need to be reminded of the actions that will occur if they step out of line and there will be no second chance if they have abused someone, otherwise they will feel free to do it again and think that they can get away with it”

NYHRHM concludes that there are not many actual incidents of racism and homophobia between HYMS students. Many times personal disputes between students will dissolve into accusations of baseless racism just to irritate the other student. These students will then be seen drinking together later that evening!
On both campuses the highest complaint from Christian students is that of Muslim students lack of integration. This has to be read in verse with Muslim student complaints like the earlier complaint about placing them in a separate housing block.

Controversy arose when Muslim students attempted to set up a HYMS Muslim Society. It was harshly refused by HYMS. This is despite HYMS allowing the rightwing Christian Group “The Christian Medical Fellowship” to use its rooms and even distribute its material in HYMS.

NYHRHM identified backgrounds as a key issue to many of the problems at HYMS. Compare these two shockingly similar statements:
White HYMS student: “At home I’ve only ever been friends with white people. I’ve never met any asian people in my life. So I don’t know how to approach asian colleagues”
Visible-minority HYMS student: "Back in the hood, I never ever spoken to white people, I mustn’t seen one in 5 years, maybe except in a shop, University is the first time I’ve been with white people. Don’t know how to speak to them.”

NYHRHM receives persistent comments from only a handful of HYMS students with strong religious or racial beliefs. We are proud to say that the vast majority of HYMS students have no problem with any group and will freely mix. This is an attitude we are happy to see prevalent in today’s young people. The actual number of complaints number less than 2% of the entire population of HYMS. Most complaints received were from students with strong religous values. Race and skincolour WAS NOT a common factor.

WHEN you are thinking about racism at HYMS. REMEMBER other medicals schools probably have it worst. THANK GOD that HYMS actually did this survey.REMEMBER it is a handful of students and staff with extreme views that spoil it for the rest of us.
REMEMBER HYMS IS:
* A world class medical school that will probably outrank Cambridge
* Part of the prestigious IVEMEDS network that includes many international schools of note
* Have more students of non-white origin than nearby University of Leeds Medical School
* Has several high ranking lecturers and clinical tutors who are Muslim or of South Asian lineage.
* The University of York has outperformed Government standards to recruit from state schools and ethnic minority pupils.
* Boasts a teaching faculty with world class lecturers trained at Harvard, St Georges Hospital Medical School, UCL, Imperial, Cambridge (just take a look: http://www.hyms.ac.uk/staff/)

When applying to your medical school BE rest assured HYMS does not have unique problems, it suffers from the SAME problem at any other medical school of integrating students with diverse backgrounds. HYMS is going to be the most cutting edge medical school in the UK

exms · 12-04-2005, 10:11 AM

Out of interest, is the "North Yorkshire and Humberside Race and Homophobia Monitor" a student organisation?

-- A.

nickbrazel · 12-04-2005, 10:51 AM

To be honest, i've been at HYMS for months now and i've never heard of this so-called organisation.

As i've said before, I wish people would stop posting this nonsense about our medical school. It's been discussed at length before and doesn't need dwelling on again. Such posts will no doubt only damage people who use this forum's viewpoint of the medical school, even if the content is positive.

Nick

surahman · 12-04-2005, 11:32 AM

I think we have been down this road before in similar threads, and looking at the name of this "organistaion" i wonder does it really exist?

As for uni's all over the country i think we can agree, that not just HYMS, but all uni's will have this problem, and that we shouldnt isolate these incidences just onto HYMS.

In fact, as mentioned on the other threads, several times, HYMS has done good by allowing people to recognise that it is a premier in such a task.

As for "cover-up" well lets not get all "X-files" here, i am sure no place wants to show they have racism, no matter how small a problem. But again, well done HYMS for doing so!

geckolegs · 12-04-2005, 12:39 PM

Don't know why I am responding to this thread since it realy is none of my business. I just find the whole initial post a little suspect.

TheTruth has only one post to their name, yet, has clearly visited the forum a number of times previously and likely have another username. Why the secrecy?
Why decide to make their location New York?
The bitmap of the wonderful NYHRHM could be slapped together in paintbrush in literally half a minute.
The name of the "monitor journal" doesn't have anything to do with the med school.
The quotes from the students seem very dubious too, don't you think?

It all smacks of someone that is either over zealously loyal to the HYMS or someone that likes stirring the pot.

This is really all that can be said for sure: The powers that be in this country are strongly against any sort of bigotry and trying to implement measures to elmininate it. However, it still goes on and medical schools are not impervious to this. If you are a victim, let someone know, if you know someone is being victimised don't just stand by passively, and if you are victimising - watch yourself as you are going to be rumbled sooner or later.

surahman · 12-04-2005, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geckolegs

Don't know why I am responding to this thread since it realy is none of my business. I just find the whole initial post a little suspect.

TheTruth has only one post to their name, yet, has clearly visited the forum a number of times previously and likely have another username. Why the secrecy?
Why decide to make their location New York?
The bitmap of the wonderful NYHRHM could be slapped together in paintbrush in literally half a minute.
The name of the "monitor journal" doesn't have anything to do with the med school.
The quotes from the students seem very dubious too, don't you think?

It all smacks of someone that is either over zealously loyal to the HYMS or someone that likes stirring the pot.

This is really all that can b said for sure: The powers that be in this country are strongly against any sort of bigotry and trying to implement measures to elmininate it. However, it still goes on and medical schools are not impervious to this.

COULDNT PUT IT BETTER MYSELF!

A quick search of google using the acronym or the full name of the so called organisation, yields no results!

Dr-Robien · 14-06-2008, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geckolegs

Don't know why I am responding to this thread since it realy is none of my business. I just find the whole initial post a little suspect.

TheTruth has only one post to their name, yet, has clearly visited the forum a number of times previously and likely have another username. Why the secrecy?
Why decide to make their location New York?
The bitmap of the wonderful NYHRHM could be slapped together in paintbrush in literally half a minute.
The name of the "monitor journal" doesn't have anything to do with the med school.
The quotes from the students seem very dubious too, don't you think?

It all smacks of someone that is either over zealously loyal to the HYMS or someone that likes stirring the pot.

This is really all that can be said for sure: The powers that be in this country are strongly against any sort of bigotry and trying to implement measures to elmininate it. However, it still goes on and medical schools are not impervious to this. If you are a victim, let someone know, if you know someone is being victimised don't just stand by passively, and if you are victimising - watch yourself as you are going to be rumbled sooner or later.

An excellent few points- I feel this thread is highlighting an unofficial "problem" at HYMS- and, until it's authenticity is verified (as it is supposed to be of a verified statistically empirical source? lol) it should be removed from the thread- as it could probably just be someone's ramblings to suit their own agenda.. not others.. and not HYMS.

SeriousBlack · 14-06-2008, 06:29 PM

This opening post is rather strange. There will always be a degree of racism and homophobia wherever you go, whether it glares you in the face or is more of an unspoken quiet kind. Being an 'ethnic minority' myself I can honestly say I have never experienced any kind of racism or unfair treatment during my 2 years in Hull. I have found the people here to be very pleasant, friendly and laid back. This thread is both unecessary and ridiculously unfounded.