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Abstract

Background
Reduced retention and progression amongst ethnic minority staff is severely disrupting equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) within healthcare with negative impacts on patient care. There is a lack of diversity in postgraduate leadership roles with systemic issues and insufficient support. To help address these issues at an individual level, we developed the Diversity in Medical Education (DiME) programme that aims to close the gap between ethnic minority individuals and training programme director (TPD) positions.

Approach
Over 6 months, the programme consisted of a series of learning days on action learning sets and effective meetings, mock interviews with associate deans, networking events, mentoring, access to coaching and subsequently forming a peer network. Participants were recruited from a wide range of primary and secondary care specialties and ethnic minority backgrounds.

Evaluation
A qualitative evaluation was undertaken. Lessons learned included providing protected time to participate in professional development, facilitating flexibility of opportunities and enhancing understanding and encouragement for individuals to progress as an ethnic minority leader. Interviews revealed programme benefits, barriers and challenges participants faced in reaching leadership positions and suggested recommendations to enhance DiME. Benefits included the development of technical and non‐technical skills, feeling valued and supported, and peer networking.

Implications
DiME is a novel postgraduate programme to support ethnic minority TPDs in overcoming barriers to leadership positions through building networks and sharing valuable skills. Systemic and institutional barriers impede ethnic minority individuals reaching senior leadership positions, yet this initiative provides a small step through the implementation of an innovative programme.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2025 Association for the Study of Medical Education and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Murphy, Z., Kehoe, A., Arjunan, M., Bishop, F., Pullinger, A., Blizzard, R., Ellawala, A. and Crampton, P. (2025), A Novel Postgraduate Diversity in Medical Education (DiME) Leadership Programme. Clin Teach, 22: e70074 which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.70074. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified. The article must be linked to Wiley’s version of record on Wiley Online Library and any embedding, framing or otherwise making available the article or pages thereof by third parties from platforms, services and websites other than Wiley Online Library must be prohibited.
Publisher Keywords:	curriculum, diversity, leadership, postgraduate, qualitative
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
Departments:	School of Health & Medical Sciences School of Health & Medical Sciences > Healthcare Services Research & Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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