Through our Selecting for Excellence project launched in 2013, MSC is committed to promoting equality, improving social mobility and access to medical careers. By providing outreach that is accurate, comprehensive and free of charge, we aim to inspire a new generation of compassionate and skilled healthcare professionals that represent the diverse communities which they serve. Ten years on, we have met all of the targets outlined in our original report and hope to build on this in the next decade.
We invite our programme alumni (current medical students and doctors) to remain actively involved as they advance in their own medical careers, offering opportunities to serve as mentors and role models. This allows them to further develop their research and communication skills whilst building their portfolio.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Alliance has published guidance and recommendations for medical schools to develop inclusive learning environments for students and staff. Our Active Inclusion, Challenging Exclusion work covers recruitment, selection and the medical school environment. We have published additional guidance to support medical students with a faith background.
MSC is committed to fostering a supportive work environment for our staff. Our recruitment practices are inclusive, featuring name and university-blind selection, and we pay all of our staff at least the London Living Wage.
Employees benefit from union representation, ensuring their voices are heard. Additionally, we have several initiatives aimed at improving staff well-being and making a positive impact on our communities, such as offering paid time for volunteer work, funding for staff-selected learning opportunities, and a flexitime policy.
Climate and Environmental Sustainability
Healthcare and climate change are affected by each other, and MSC is at the forefront of addressing this dual challenge. We recognise poor health often requires carbon and resource intensive interventions, which drive climate change; meanwhile, extreme weather and biosphere changes negatively affect population, community and individual health. We are actively taking steps to reduce the environmental impact of healthcare and to prepare for future health challenges posed by a changing climate. By promoting sustainability in our operations, supporting member organisations in their initiatives, and engaging with stakeholders and researchers, MSC is co-creating a more sustainable and resilient healthcare sector.
The MSC secretariat operates from an office managed by Universities UK (UUK), which is dedicated to environmental sustainability with a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. In line with UUK’s commitment, MSC has implemented several sustainable practices. We enable remote and home working which reduces travel needs, and UUK’s office buildings feature energy-saving measures, including a new cooling system. Additionally, we prioritise the use of digital resources to minimise waste. Our staff are urged to minimise their carbon footprint by using public transport for commuting and opting for non-air public transport for meetings whenever possible.
Our member organisations are equally committed to sustainability. We have supported the integration of population level preventive health measures into medical training to reduce the need for carbon-intensive treatments. We have organised workshops for medical school leaders to discuss the climate emergency and the NHS’s role in greenhouse gas emissions and the plastics crisis including high energy use and travel. Moreover, we contribute to developing curricula that focus on sustainability in healthcare and highlight and enable participation in research on sustainability topics. Recognising the interconnectedness of healthcare and climate change, students are trained to address issues such as vector-borne diseases and lung problems from air pollution. Finally, many parent universities of medical schools have their own zero carbon and net zero plans which the schools partake in.
Our commitment to sustainability is ongoing. For example, at our summer schools, we implement comprehensive environmental impact assessments and identify and implement immediate improvements. We monitor the proportion of online meetings and associated travel emissions, and establish partnerships with local, sustainable providers.