Background
In the United Kingdom, Muslim healthcare professionals
(MHPs) frequently encounter obstacles to career
advancement, such as a lack of mentorship that is
culturally sensitive, without implicit bias and
underrepresentation in leadership roles (1-3). While
valuable, traditional mentoring models may not be
sufficient to handle these complex obstacles (2,3). With
the rising interest in AI-based, inclusive mentorship and
increasing Muslim healthcare professional population, it
is possible to overcome these nuances (4,5). This
literature review explores current inclusion systems and
mentorship interventions supporting MHPs in the UK,
with a focus on cultural safety, accessibility, and
technological innovations.
Methods
A structured literature review was conducted across
PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and JBI Database.
Search terms included: “(‘Muslim healthcare
professionals’ OR ‘doctor’ OR ‘nurse’) AND
(‘mentorship’ OR ‘mentor’ OR ‘mentoring’ OR
‘Artificial intelligence’) AND (‘National Health Service’
OR ‘United Kingdom’ OR ‘NHS’) AND (‘equality in
healthcare’)”.
A total of 312 articles were manually screened.
Inclusion criteria would be based on the PICo standard:
Population, Interest, Context and Outcomes for research
question/discussion:
- English-language publications
- Focus on Muslim or ethnic minority HCPs in the UK
- Discussion of mentorship, inclusion frameworks, or AI
enabled solutions.
Exclusion criteria included editorials, opinion pieces or
non-healthcare-related mentorship models. To ensure
data relevancy and accuracy, the search was restricted to
studies published within the last 10 years (2015-2025)
12 articles met final inclusion for full review and
thematic analysis
Results
Three major themes emerged:
- Inclusion barriers: Studies consistently reported
experiences of racism, microaggressions and
underrepresentation of Muslims in positions of
leadership (1,2,6). - Mentorship Models: Conventional NHS mentorship
programmes were not culturally sensitive and did not
address the identity-related requirements of Muslim
professionals (3,7). - Innovative Interventions: AI mentorship systems and
peer-led digital communities that enhanced users’
inclusion, support and confidence were the subject of
recent pilot research (5,8). One scoping review
highlighted that culturally tailored AI systems can
reduce bias in mentoring feedback and promote
equitable access to career guidance (4)
Conclusion
There is a pressing need for inclusive mentorship models
that account for the unique identity and cultural
experiences of MHPs, in the UK. Literature supports the
development of AI-powered and culturally sensitive
systems as scalable, personalized tools to complement
traditional mentorship models. Further research,
especially large-scale evaluations, is warranted to
establish best practices and refine these systems for
national implementation. Also, initiation of large-scale
mentorship programmes, such as the British Islamic
Medical Association (BIMA) mentorship programme
with outcomes monitored after five or ten years would
bring larger data sets and improvements on current
models.
References
- British Medical Association. Racism in medicine:
An agenda for change. London: BMA; 2020. Available
from: https://www.bma.org.uk/media/2840/bma-racism
in-medicine-report-2020.pdf - Latif A, Waring J, Watmough S. Barriers faced by
Muslim doctors in career advancement: a narrative
review. BMJ Leader. 2020;4(3):124–9. - Kaleem M, Zahoor S. Mentoring and career
progression for Muslim healthcare professionals in the
NHS: a qualitative exploration. J Divers
HealthcLeadersh. 2022;5(1):15-25 - Ahmed S, Khalil H. AI and equity in healthcare career
development: a scoping review. J Med Syst.
2023;47(2):55. - Topol E. Deep medicine: How artificial intelligence
can make healthcare human again. New York: Basic
Books; 2019. - Equality and Human Rights Commission. Tackling
racial harassment: Universities challenged. London
EHRC; 2019. - Health Education England. The Future Doctor
Programme Report. London: NHS HEE; 2020. Available
from: https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/future-doctor - Haque Z, Pantazidou M. Mentorship for ethnic
minority clinicians: building supportive ecosystems.
MedEdPublish. 2023;13:1–9.
