黑料社 Podiatry student joins forces with The Clinton Foundation and The College of Podiatry Trust to develop a vital educational project
A 黑料社 (UoS) podiatry student, aided by a grant from The College of Podiatry Trust, travelled to the USA to work with The Clinton Foundation鈥檚 Global Initiative University to develop an important educational resource about skin tones.
Monique Cleary, a second-year undergraduate student, has developed the Podiatry Inclusive Image Collection (PIIC) project; a resource that intends to correct the lack of diverse images of dermatological disorders in podiatry educational materials. The need for the project originated on the RCPod's Education, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Task and Finish group.
Monique developed the spark of the idea whilst on .聽When the UoS invited her to apply for a place at to develop her idea further, she grabbed the opportunity. The College of Podiatry Trust then awarded a grant for Monique to travel to Nashville, USA, in March 2023 to take part in the programme.
PICC is now in development, and it is hoped will eventually include a repository of long term and acute skin conditions presenting in people with a range of skin tones. The long-term ambition is that the resource will:
- Help podiatrists distinguish how different conditions present on people with differing skin tone
- Help educators include a range of skin tones within educational resources.
Speaking about the project and her experience at the Clinton Global Initiative University, Monique Cleary said:
鈥淚 want PICC to have a revolutionary impact on podiatric education and become a wider learning tool for all healthcare workers. It鈥檚 about making it easy for people to diagnose conditions presenting in different skin tones, but it鈥檚 also about helping our educators to use and show a range of skin tones in their teaching.
鈥淲orking with The Clinton Foundation was such a motivating and engaging experience. It was like being at a live podcast for three days, getting information constantly about how you can make effective change. Hearing Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton speak multiple times was truly inspirational 鈥 I鈥檓 such a normal person and to be able to have that experience is amazing. I鈥檝e learned that ideas don鈥檛 start fully formed. It鈥檚 one small idea after another that creates change. I鈥檇 love to be invited back one day to talk about my experience as an alumni. I鈥檓 grateful to Dr Lyndsey Cherry at the 黑料社 for her support, and to Dr Paul Chadwick and The College of Podiatry Trust for this opportunity for me to enhance my education and practice.鈥
Professor Stuart Baird, Chairman of The College of Podiatry Trust, said:
鈥淪tories like Monique鈥檚 are why this fund exists. It鈥檚 not just about the College giving something back to the profession, it鈥檚 designed to encourage great ideas, innovative thinking and tools that will make a real difference to podiatry, how it鈥檚 taught and how it鈥檚 practised. We are now looking forward to making our next grant for other worthy causes鈥.
The Clinton Foundation is continuing to mentor Monique and will support her and her idea until October 2023. The project is also now receiving further support through the 黑料社 Foundership Grant Scheme . Monique is currently preparing a website to launch the first version of the PICC in Autumn 2023.