Our first research output: the Scholars Programme at AMEE 2025
The BSMA presented its first piece of research at AMEE 2025, the annual conference of the International Association for Health Professions Education, held in Barcelona from 23 to 27 August 2025.
The poster, "The BSMA's Scholars Programme: improving access to medicine for Somali students in the UK", was led by Dr Najma Aden with Dr Sumaya Gurhan and Dr Zakariye Ashkir. It evaluates the 2023/24 cohort of the Scholars Programme, which supports Somali and other underrepresented students applying to medicine with teaching seminars, one-to-one mentoring, personal statement reviews and mock interviews.
Seven students took part between August 2023 and April 2024, through eight teaching seminars over Zoom, mentoring by volunteer doctors and medical students, and an online mock MMI with feedback. Six completed the end-of-programme questionnaire.
Five of the six (83%) received one or more offers to study medicine. Five reported that regular contact with their mentor improved their outcomes, all six said the personal statement feedback improved their essay, and knowledge across the taught topics rose by 52% on average.
"The mentoring was brilliant, it really boosted my confidence going into the interview season," one Scholar wrote.
The team concluded that widening participation work should target gaps in knowledge and give students support and a network. Future cycles will add in-person events and a set mentoring framework.
