GasReach

GasReach is an exciting new collaborative project between the Widening Participation Medics Network (WPMN) and the Royal College of Anaesthetists which aims to increase diversity within anaesthesia.

GasReach is a mentoring scheme which pairs current trainees enthusiastic about widening participation with medical students and junior doctors from under-represented backgrounds. Through regular virtual sessions and discussions over a one-year period, the mentor-mentee groups will explore a variety of topics around careers in anaesthesia and the application process.

We hope that GasReach will be a step towards improving diversity and levelling up the playing field for under-represented groups in anaesthesia.

Benefits of joining GasReach:

• an opportunity to encourage and inspire the next generation of anaesthetists!
• mentors will receive formal training prior to starting the scheme
• certificate of recognition of involvement with the scheme
• development of communication and leadership skills.

If you are interested in joining the scheme as a mentor, please see below.

We are launching the pilot scheme which will initially run for one-year. The application window for mentees will close on Friday 13 October 2023. 

Recruitment and training

If you are interested in becoming a GasReach mentor, please complete the application form below. Successful candidates will be invited to undergo formal mentorship training before meeting their mentees.

Each mentor will be assigned to one mentee who they will be expected to contact regularly (approximately once a month) for the entire duration of the scheme.

Virtual Welcome Event

All mentors and mentees will be invited to a virtual welcome event to launch the start of the mentoring programme. 

Regular Virtual Seminars and Ongoing Mentoring

There will be quarterly webinars delivered by the mentors covering topics relevant to a future career in anaesthesia. Examples of topics covered include:

• sub-specialties in anaesthesia
• hot topics in anaesthesia
• the application process
• interview practice.

Mentors will be encouraged to develop and facilitate these webinars with support from the steering group.

Outside of the quarterly webinars, mentors and mentees are encouraged to continue the discussions inspired by the webinars.

Support

Mentors and mentees can contact the steering group, which is made up of members from the RCoA and WPMN, to discuss any issues and to make suggestions to improve the scheme.

At the end of the one-year pilot scheme, those involved will be provided with a certificate of recognition for their hard work and support.

Become a mentor

To be a mentor, you should be a current anaesthetist in training with a keen interest in widening participation.  We would like to encourage applications from individuals who are from groups or backgrounds which are under-represented in anaesthesia.

The benefits of being a mentor include:

• enhance your skills in developing others
• gain invaluable insight into your own working situations through helping others
• contribute to improving diversity and equity within anaesthesia
• opportunity to contribute to the work of the College
• make a difference to another person's life.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please submit your expression of interest in the form below, and a member of the GasReach team will be in touch. The application window for this year for mentors has now closed.

About the Widening Participation Medics Network (WPMN)

The GMC national training survey has identified that those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are under-represented in medicine (National Training Surveys Reports). This is backed up by data from the Social Mobility Commission who reported that only 4% of UK doctors come from working-class backgrounds.

Widening Participation (WP) started as a UK government initiative which offered opportunities to groups under-represented in higher education.

This includes students who: 

• attend a school with low progression into higher education 
• are the first generation of their family to consider higher education 
• are from an underrepresented ethnic group
• are from a low socio-economic group
• have a disability 
• are a care leaver  
• are a carer.

Whilst schemes which promote diversity in undergraduate training are widespread, there are relatively few initiatives which do the same in postgraduate and subspecialty training. 

Widening Participation Medics Network (WPMN) is a national charitable organisation set up in 2020 which aims to promote diversity within the medical workforce. It consists of over 100 volunteers and has successfully established a mentoring scheme with the Royal College of Radiologists named RadReach.

To find out more about WPMN, please visit their website.