Aim African-Caribbean Medical Mentors (ACMM) was founded in 2017 to develop future leaders in healthcare from an African-Caribbean background. We currently have a team of 15 members who provide outreach, mentoring and networking opportunities in order to positively influence outcomes for black students and doctors. The 2017 GMC Medical School Annual Report showed that only 3.3% of all UK medical students were of an African Caribbean background. ACMM was founded to address this inequality by empowering black students through providing the skills necessary to succeed in a medical career. Our aim is to increase our contribution to the development of black doctors, in order to improve the diversity of leadership roles within healthcare.

Method We worked with schools and participation groups at universities, as well as utilising social media to enable our target audience to access our resources. Working alongside organisations such as the British Medical Association has provided us with a platform to reach doctors and medical students throughout the UK. Our evaluation demonstrates that black students who wish to study medicine benefit from free resources and guided support through the application process.

Results In the three years since African-Caribbean Medical Mentors was founded we have seen increased success in university applications: 80% of mentees have received medical and dental school offers. We have reached over 1500 students through outreach sessions and over 450 people through our events; we anticipate further increases. Effective promotion and a successful track-record has placed us in a position to support more individuals over time.

Conclusion Our social media presence and insight into healthcare allows us to promote diversity in medicine, as well as career progression amongst aspiring future leaders from African-Caribbean backgrounds. Representation is pivotal in the development of a more diverse healthcare workforce.