New anatomy models with darker coloured skin tones have been installed by the University of Plymouth to improve the diversity of its medical teaching materials.

Thought to be the first work of its kind in the country, the initiative was led by Dr Siobhan Moyes, the University’s Lead in Anatomy, who wanted to make improvements post-lockdown in 2020. Working with model provider, Adam,Rouilly, she initiated a programme to improve awareness of the availability and anatomical diversity of the models to ensure an inclusive and empowering student experience.

She said: 

“Post lockdown and after the international campaign for Black Lives Matter, noticing the lack of diversity in our anatomy resources was a real shock for me. Ultimately our students are going to treat people from all backgrounds and ethnicities, so why were our teaching materials primarily Euro-centric? I was also upset to think that our diverse population of students might not feel represented by the models they saw in our teaching.“When I struggled to find high-quality diverse anatomy models on the market, I approached our provider, Adam,Rouilly, to discuss improvements to the visibility and availability of models with different skin tones. They have been so receptive and collaborative through the whole process, it’s been a real team effort.”