Naabil

Hi! I’m Naabil, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Exeter with a passion for global health, diversity, and accessibility in education. I strongly believe that healthcare and learning opportunities should be inclusive, clinically relevant, and accessible to everyone. My teaching journey has taken me from local tutoring roles to national and international platforms, helping students at various stages of their education.

Gold Standard Teaching Award: Recognized by the SSAT for my effective and engaging teaching methods.
Tutoring: Over 4 years of experience teaching English, Maths, and Science, including two years with First Class Learning and current work with refugee children in Exeter.
Coach Bright: Enhanced student performance through personalized mentoring and skill-building sessions.
Medical Mentorship: Have mentored over 15 medical students on subjects such as the Musculoskeletal, Immune, and Nervous systems, as well as exam prep and resource creation.

Commendations: Delivered a highly praised Anatomy & Physiology lecture at Exeter College.
Innovative Resources: Created medical education tools like guides on Cranial Nerves and Obstetric Cases.
Podcast Co-host: “Very Junior Doctors” – guiding aspiring medics through applications and medical school.

Founder of ‘Skin For All’: An online platform showcasing skin conditions across diverse skin tones to address gaps in medical education.
Speaker: Presented on decolonizing healthcare and addressing racial inequities at esteemed institutions like TEDxNHS, the BMA Student Conference, and Brighton and Sussex Medical School’s Anti-Racism Conference.
Leadership Roles: General Secretary of Muslim Women in Surgery, SW Regional Lead for Social Prescription, and university ambassador for Political Medics.
Teaching Style

I believe in an engaging, student-centered approach that fosters curiosity and confidence. My goal is to make complex concepts accessible and relatable, whether you’re preparing for exams, improving foundational knowledge, or exploring medical topics at a deeper level.

I am actively involved in various initiatives to raise awareness about Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic issues as well as presenting to the British Medical Association (BMA) Student Conference in 2023, the University of Exeter and platforms like Future Frontline on decolonising healthcare. I spoke on a panel at the Exeter Respect Festival launch where I delved into the racial inequities seen in medical education and the impact this has had on perspectives within the NHS and medical school. As well as national/local speaker events, I have spoken at TEDxNHS, for which I recieved editors pick (and is yet to be published) where I inspired over 400 audience members about my experience with representation and advocacy in medical education.

I has also hosted multiple presentations to students, academics and the public on the issues present in medical education regarding under- representation of skin tones and dangerous generalisations found in medical literature. This has included the Public Involvement in Medical Education group, Devon and Exeter Medical Society, the Let’s Talk about Series with St Lukes, Brighton and Sussex Medical School Anti-racism conference, Posters In Parliament and have even represented Medical student dedicated to making a change on the BBC, LBC, The Doctor by the BMA and at the London University of Osteopathy. My impact on the local and wider community has grown throughout the year and have continued to develop as more groups and individuals interact with me and my work. My written work can be seen with the creation of the Times Higher Education article co-written with professor, Dr Maisha Reza on decolonising the medical curriculum, as well as the Decolonise Healthcare conference in Exeter last June.

My commitment to creating a more equitable and accessible healthcare system has also been witnessed with the creation of Skin For All, an online educational platform that represents the most commonly seen skin conditions on various skin tones. The platform has collected a respectable audience while capturing the attention of the local Exeter audience and the wider national/international community. Diversity is at the heart of this website with the use of inclusive language, questions to help the public and detailed disease profiles to contribute to medical students’ learning. The platform has received high praise with many students having said Skin For All is a “Fantastic website aimed at a really important topic” and “on the same level as the award winning Mind The Gap”; as well as members of the public stating it is “very well-rounded and comprehensive, especially with the usage of non-medical language”. I have also written my first self-published 200 page e-book, Skin For All, which I have researched and designed solely to raise awareness about representation in medical education as well as influence otmys to carry out similar activities.

I am committed to helping my peers experience an inclusive, representative learning environment; now seen with the introduction of the Future Dr Newsletter which aims to make Medical opportunities more accessible to students. I want to leave a lasting impact on my community, not only within the Exeter region, but within the medical community internationally. My work has already been recognised, with my recent nomination as finalist for the Bright Network Impact Awards, and Exeter Guild awards as well as being made winner of the 2023 BMBS Citizenship, Rising Star in Healthcare Award by wearethecity and the 2024 Racial Justice in Medicine prize awarded by the American Medical Students Association; making her the first British medical student to have received this award.