Every time I would walk through the doors of my medical school, or enter a new placement, I would always see a mix of people from many backgrounds. This always made me smile and overall, it made me so proud.

As someone who is visibly a practising Sikh, with a turban and a beard, I grew up with the mentality that I was born to stand out. This meant holding myself to a high standard, as no matter what I did I would always be recognised on the street due to my faith, and I didn’t want to create any negative perceptions.

That fuelled my desire to become a doctor, alongside one of the core concepts of my faith: being of service to humanity. Still, when starting medical school, I was unsure how welcome I would be made to feel. Particularly with the thought of entering a placement where I know there’s a very high possibility of being the only Sikh on the wards.

These feelings/thoughts/panics were all quashed during my first year. During a ‘prepare for placement’ lecture with around 50 of my colleagues, for the first time as a medical student, I felt seen.

The lecturer was discussing professionalism and came to uniform policies at placements. She went through all the usual bits, then talked about religious exemptions. When she talked about the turban and the five ‘K’s (the mandatory uniform of a practising Sikh), I felt as though I would be safe. That in a world and country that is sometimes filled with such hate and fire towards minorities, being told I would be protected as a student really cultivated a faith-inclusive environment.

I just wish this experience was shared by all my peers at other medical schools up and down the country. Being heavily involved as a co-founder of the Sikh Medical Student Network, a network created to connect Sikh medical students across the UK, I have heard of such disparity in the experiences of my colleagues. I wish the lecture I received before my first placement could have been heard at medical school lecture theatres throughout the UK.

Some of my Sikh colleagues have confided in me the difficult times they have faced as visible practising Sikhs. Hostile environments. Backhanded comments. This is not the way to cultivate a safe learning environment – there is a great need for further teaching and most importantly, a need for internal reflection. Are medical schools disseminating factual information to providers? Is there a process where a student can, without fear of being labelled as a ‘problem’, raise their concerns?

Faith diversity matters in medical school, and it must be protected. Whether that be in lecture theatres, in inductions to new departments on placement, or information disseminated to placement providers, something must be done that supports students, especially those from minority backgrounds. The students at risk of discrimination can’t be empowered in isolation; these measures must include the rest of the cohort too.

After medical school, we are thrown onto the wards as an FY1. It doesn’t take many shifts as an FY1 to understand that it’s a role in which we arrive with fresh eyes combatting old problems. Patient safety and respect are our top priorities, and there have no doubt been many instances of discrimination against patients too. This results in a lack of trust between many communities and the healthcare system.

By having a universal system of training which is easily accessible and powerful, this can go a long way in the future. It can all start with a simple lecture, but it can make someone feel seen and empowered.

Simranjeet Grewal a medical student at St George’s medical school and is now a Foundation Year One doctor in the East of England.