[mel0n]

Hello I was browing through FB and came across:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Virgin...05946656125440

and it says 'Support Virginia and other students who're challenging the racism within Kings College London.'

I came across it by searching for 'King's College London' - related posts come up and someone has posted a link to the above page - comments include things like:

'I attended the Uni of Lomdon as well, faced the same type of thing. My solicitor and i kicked their ass!! don't know if my experience can be of help? let me know....' - and - 'I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Lee Jasper for his support. This battle is not just for Virginia but for other students who have been cheated by a racist institution.'

So basically - from anyone's own experience - how racist is KCL? Is it at all? I would really like to know seeing as I'm going there in September

Thanks!

EDIT: I am aware that the link is in regards to 'the School of Medicine' - but I think if such racism is evident in one faculty then surely it is just as likely to be more widespread if it does exist so much.

EDIT II: Ok I'm just going to copy and paste what is written in the info section of the FB page into a spoiler - there is quite a bit:

Spoiler:

Show

This page outlines some of the incidents which Virginia has been subjected to. Namely - targeting Virginia and other black students for psychological/genetic research, racial harassment, segregation and intimidation by Kings College staff.

'Extended Medical Degree Programme' (EMDP)

In 2001 King’s College London School of Medicine introduced an experimental 6 year ‘Extended Medical Degree Programme’ (EMDP) to recruit students from target London boroughs with a large black and ethnic minority population. The demographics of the target boroughs resulted in the majority of students admitted onto the programme coming from ethnic minority backgrounds, with Afro-Caribbean’s forming the majority group. This programme was designed to run along side the established MBBS 5 year medical course with a majority white and Asian mix. It was used to justify additional funding from the government.

In 2002 Virginia Jibowu applied for the MBBS 5 year medical degree as she had the correct predicted grades for the main MBBS programme. She along with many other ethnic minority students were admitted onto the EMDP course despite achieving better A level grades than some students admitted onto the established MBBS 5 year programme. This two tier degree programme encouraged division amongst the student body.

Students on the EMDP were stigmatised by management as the course was advertised as designed to recruit low achievers from ‘socially deprived backgrounds’. The result was that the EMDP students were held in contempt by students and staff at King’s College London.

Unknown to the students accepted on the EMDP course, they were recruited to be used for medical and social research by KCL and their ‘Health Partners’, including King’s College Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’, South London, Maudsley and the Institute of Psychiatry. It included IQ research, HIV/AIDS research, sociological and psychological research. Although it is legal to use healthy ‘controls’ in research, it was unethical to conduct involuntary research on the students without their informed consent or by coercion.

Harassment

During her first term on the EMDP, Virginia complained to management about the segregation and unfair treatment that the EMDP students were being subjected to. Her complaints were met with hostility by senior members of the management team.

Without reason, Virginia was subjected to numerous incidents of bullying, harassment and intimidation by a group of medical students who were related to and connected to senior members of the management team, including an examiners daughter. For example, on one occasion a fellow student informed Virginia that a virus should be introduced into Africa to wipe out the black African population for the Caucasians to move in and on a separate occasion the examiners daughter assaulted her by stamping on her toe. Virginia reported these incidents to management but disregarding the College policy on racial harassment and bullying, management refused to interview witnesses or carry out any investigating into these matters. The complaints raised by Virginia against the students became the catalyst of management’s hostility towards Virginia.

Despite all her achievements Virginia was set up and failed in the final MMBS examination preventing her from qualifying and taking up her F1 job which she had secured at Gwent Hospital in Newport. None of the black students that began the EMDP with Virginia in 2002 were passed in the final MBBS examinations in 2008.

Virginia was unfairly examined in that at the beginning of her MCQ exam her answer sheet was switched and during her practical OSCE examination, she was examined by the mother of the student she had complained about during her elective placement in St Lucia. During the OSCE examination, the student’s mother pretended to fall asleep whilst Virginia examined a patient on the abdomen station rotation. KCL has since refused to disclose unredacted OSCE papers to the court and confirmed that Virginia’s MCQ answer sheet was switched by an invigilator. When pressed to disclose the MCQ paper, management claimed that her answer paper had been destroyed. When Virginia appealed the decision of the Board of Examiners to fail her, management refused to investigate her complaints and disallowed her appeal without considering any evidence.

After submitting her claim at the Central London County Court, Virginia returned to the university. On the first day of her clinical attachment at King’s College Hospital NHS Trust, an unidentified porter rammed a wheelchair into the back of her leg and left the ward. The two doctors she was with at the time denied witnessing the incident and the police refused to investigate. Management claimed to have destroyed the CCTV footage on the day of the incident and refuses to disclose details of the security entry door staff access to the ward.

Virginia’s injury caused extensive damage to her leg. She suffered a haematama in her calf muscle and damage to the soft tissue of the knee (chondromalacia patellae). Virginia was housebound for many months following the injury and still suffers from reduced mobility. She suffers from continuous severe pain and discomfort to the knee. Despite submitting a formal complaint on the day after the injury, management refused to investigate, refused to refer her to the Occupational Health Department, and refused to allow reasonable adjustments to be made in order for Virginia to resit her examinations. Management has since refused to award Virginia her ‘Exit Degree’, which has been awarded to all other MBBS students who passed the 4th year of the programme. This has meant that after spending 6 years at King’s College London, Virginia has been forced out with no qualifications. Hence she is being prevented from taking up employment or applying for further training.

This is a fight for truth and justice against a powerful and corrupt establishment that is intent on covering up orchestrated criminal acts at the expense of vulnerable young students.

[kzimmer]

What exactly happened to Virginia that was racist?

[Aj12]

Ok I find some of this a bit suspect, her being set up for failure for example. However some of it seems genuine I don't know the whole thing seems very very odd.

[mel0n]

(Original post by kzimmer)
What exactly happened to Virginia that was racist?

If you go to the 'info' section of the page it will tell you - I'm not being rude, sorry! It's just there's so much written there!

[mel0n]

(Original post by Aj12)
What sort of racism is this? The kind where lectures have been calling black students N*ggars or people feeling hard done by for not getting in? Some examples would be nice

I've pasted what was written on the page into a spoiler in the first post.

[kzimmer]

Thanks...I just can't access FB at work. Interesting though, I hope it's not racist there!

[mel0n]

(Original post by Aj12)
Ok I find some of this a bit suspect, her being set up for failure for example. However some of it seems genuine I don't know the whole thing seems very very odd.

Hmm I'm really not sure I found it as a link posted by someone - and people have commented on that person's link saying the things I've posted/pasted above e.g 'I attended the Uni of Lomdon as well, faced the same type of thing'

[deathbeforeimmortality]

This sort of thing is actually possible at universities.

But I would have thought that KCL was very diverse and quite open?

[mel0n]

(Original post by kzimmer)
Thanks...I just can't access FB at work. Interesting though, I hope it's not racist there!

Oh okay, I posted it into the original post anyway.

[legendary collison]

Beat Racism

[SaBzY]

I saw this in the newspapers a while ago.
It's a shame, but I guess you get racism everywhere...
Although I did think that Kings college was quite multicultural. All the people that I know that are going to Kings are from ethnic backgrounds...

[Steezy]

I read through what happened and if it's true then it's a massive conspiracy. I'm not 100% sure though tbh, she might have just failed and wanted to kick up a fuss to get another shot. I don't know the girl, so can't really make a 100% analysis. But if it is actually true - poor girl, hope she gets another go at the exam.

[Rosslyn]

There was a report and an investigation into this in the London Student paper earlier this year, I think. Most of my friends found it shocking; I'm considered ethnic minority and the only one (of that minority) in my year, and I certainly didn't feel unwelcome there. In fact, it's one of the friendliest places I've ever been.

[Diaz89]

KCL has this reputation

[Joluk]

(Original post by mel0n)
I am aware that the link is in regards to 'the School of Medicine' - but I think if such racism is evident in one faculty then surely it is just as likely to be more widespread if it does exist so much.

Thats rubbish, so because a couple of people in the medicine school were racist, suddenly you're acussing the whole university of being so? Over 40% of the student population is from an ethnic minority, why would so many choose Kings if it was so racist?

[mel0n]

(Original post by Joluk)
Thats rubbish, so because a couple of people in the medicine school were racist, suddenly you're acussing the whole university of being so? Over 40% of the student population is from an ethnic minority, why would so many choose Kings if it was so racist?

I'm not ACCUSING - I'm speculating and presuming sort of - which is maybe wrong but in such a situation I'd rather be sure :| and if you read carefully I said 'IF IT DOES EXIST' i.e I'm not sure if it even exists in the first place hence the reason of this thread!!! I know there are loads of ethnics at KCL, I'm not denying that, and yes I suppose you're right that so many wouldn't choose it if it was racist - but then why do such cases like this one exist? (IF it is wholly true).

[Cesare Borgia]

Seems to have more to do with nepotism rather than racism, and wider resentment of perceived positive discrimination.

The only actual racism I saw in the description was an alleged comment by one person.

[mel0n]

(Original post by Diaz89)
KCL has this reputation

How reassuring

[duskflower]

http://nhsexposedblog.blogspot.com/2...for-brave.html

- read the article, and then read the comments.

I think the comments give us 2 sides to the story!

xxx

[jiayi930829]

God.

And I was thinking of applying there.

Should I?