Get in touch
If you are keen to participate, have feedback or would like to find out more, please email Chris Harvey at c.harvey@imperial.ac.uk.
Our Stories
Our Stories is a collaborative project building a series of facilitated conversations between a member of faculty and a member of the student body. The conversations will focus on experiences of identity and inclusion.
Conversations between faculty members and students who have volunteered to share their stories will be conducted and recorded during a half-day session, from December 2023 onwards.
What is the aim of the project?
The aim is to foster a greater sense of community and minimise isolation and harassment experienced by minoritised groups. These are not medicine-specific issues.
In addition, this project's purpose is to evaluate the impact of the series of dialogues/conversations on student and staff sense of belonging in the medical school, their understanding of diversity concerns, and their comfort level in discussing diversity issues.
An introduction from Dr Chris Harvey
How can you participate?
Join the project as a Storyteller!
You can be:
• Any member of faculty or student body with a story to share, who is open to listen and interact with someone else’s story and comfortable with these filmed conversations being published online. We welcome anyone who might have felt unrepresented by mainstream culture!
Participate in our education research
• Complete our baseline survey via the link above
• Join our focus groups!
Listen to and engage with the Stories
• Take the time to get to know the Storytellers, and pass their Stories on to help others engage.
• Continue the conversation: Have a look at the conversation cards at the bottom of this page, and use them to start your own conversations with people around you.
Introducing Rasha & Jack
Dr Rasha Mezher-Sikafi is the Deputy Head of Academic Tutoring for MBBS Phase 1 (years 1-3), and is the Professional Identity and Behaviours Lead for the MBBS programme. Clinically she works as a GP in North West London, having completed her training locally through the Northwick Park Hospital Vocational Training Scheme. She is mother to two boisterous boys and enjoys community volunteering and baking in her free time.
Jack Hall is a fifth-year medical student who has recently returned to studies after taking a two-year break. He has been involved in the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø College School of Medicine community through working in the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø College School of Medicine Students' Union (ICSMSU) and the ICSMSU Light Opera Society.
Their conversation will discuss themes of coming from non-medical backgrounds, identity and diversity, the importance of representation and role models, imposter syndrome and burnout.
Introducing Lilia & Sohag
Dr Sohag Saleh was born in Bangladesh and moved to the UK at a very young age, where he grew up in Keighley, West Yorkshire. He originally studied at King’s College London and then embarked on a PhD at St. George’s University of London. He started working at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø in the summer of 2010, where he has held various roles on the Biomedical Science and MBBS degrees. Currently, he is Deputy Phase Director (Head of Year 1) of the MBBS degree at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. He is also the Lead for Admissions, Outreach and Inclusivity for the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine. His current professional interest is focussed on the start of the medical degree, but he also has personal interests on representation, inclusivity and sustainability.
Lilia Evans is a medical student at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø who is currently taking an interruption of studies to represent ICSM as the Students' Union President. In her free time, Lilia can be found getting involved with all aspects of student life including ICSM Light Opera & ICSM RAG Fashion Show.
Takeaways and closing from Lilia & Sohag
Introducing Jen & Shreya
Dr Jen Wallis is a historian of medicine and psychiatry and joined 51³Ô¹ÏÍø in 2018. She is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Medical Humanities in the Faculty of Medicine, and also teaches on Horizons for the Centre for Languages, Culture and Communications.
Shreya Rai is a second-year (at the time of recording!) medical student, originally from Nepal.
Jen and Shreya's Our Stories conversation was recorded as a podcast, and you can listen to the series below.
Jen & Shreya - Introductions
Jen & Shreya - Belonging (Part 1)
Jen & Shreya - Belonging (Part 2)
Jen & Shreya - Belonging (Part 3)
Jen & Shreya - Imposter syndrome and finding your people
Jen & Shreya - Growing up fast
Jen & Shreya - Financial inequality
Jen & Shreya - Misogyny
Jen & Shreya - Takeaways
Continue the Conversation with our Conversation Cards
Use the Cards below to continue your own conversations
- Have a look at the conversation cards below and use them to start your own conversations with people around you.
- This deck has a total of 43 cards that are split into three levels, each increasing in depth. The deck includes questions categorised into eight themes – Life Before 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, Journey to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, Life Outside 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, Support, Experience at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø, Social Life, Home vs 51³Ô¹ÏÍø and Life after 51³Ô¹ÏÍø. There is no right way to use the cards - you are free to explore each theme or level as you see fit.
- Enjoy connecting through shared stories!
Continue the Conversation with our Conversation Cards
Level One
Life Before 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Was 51³Ô¹ÏÍø your top choice of school or work?
Journey to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
What were you doing before you came to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø?
Life Outside 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
How often do you meet up with someone who is not affiliated with 51³Ô¹ÏÍø?
Life Outside 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Is there anything you wish you had more time for?
Life Outside 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
What are some activities that you enjoy doing in your leisure time?
Support
Are you aware of the support available to you at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø?
Support
Who or what comprises your support system?
Experience at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
What part of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s culture do you enjoy the most?
Experience at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Do you partake in any social activities?
Life After 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Where do you see yourself in 10 years' time?
Conversation Cards - Level Two
Level Two
Life Before 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Did you feel confident that you would join 51³Ô¹ÏÍø? If you hadn’t, what would you have done instead?
Journey to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
What drove you to your career or education pathway?
Journey to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Would you say that your journey was atypical to your peers? If so, why? Is there anything you would have done differently?
Life Outside 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Is balancing life at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø with your life outside of 51³Ô¹ÏÍø difficult?
Life Outside 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Do your leisure activities relate to your cultural background? Do you have any that do?
Support
Who do you think is your biggest support?
Support
What makes you feel most supported?
Experience at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Do you identify with most of your peers?
Experience at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Do you feel part of the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø community, and why?
Experience at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
How do you feel you contribute to the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø community?
Life After 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
How has 51³Ô¹ÏÍø's culture and community impacted your identity?
Life After 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
What do you want to be remembered for?
Life After 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Do you think it is important to be remembered? Why?
Social Life
What are the main differences in your social life after coming to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø?
Home v 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Do you think your living situation has affected your social life or ability to make friends?
Home v 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
What is one thing that you like and dislike about your current living situation?
Conversation Cards - Level Three
Level Three
Life Before 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
What were you most excited about when coming to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø?
Journey to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
What were you most worried about coming to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø?
Journey to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
How do you feel your identity influenced you on this journey?
Life Outside 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
What, if anything, did you have to give up when coming to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø? Why?
Life Outside 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Do you prioritise your life at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø over your personal life?
Support
Have you always felt able to ask for support when you needed it?
Support
How do you think you would be impacted if you had no support at all?
Experience at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Does your identity play any part in how likely you are to raise concerns to faculty?
Experience at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
How do you think you have made a meaningful impact on the community at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø?
Experience at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Have your experiences at 51³Ô¹ÏÍø changed how you view yourself?
Life After 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Do you have any worries about your future?
Life After 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Do you feel it is important to have goals and remain driven after 51³Ô¹ÏÍø? Why?
Social Life
Do you think there is a societal pressure to have a social life? Why?
Home v 51³Ô¹ÏÍø
How would you be impacted if your living situation was different?