The School’s very own Dr Mumtaz Patel has been appointed as the 123rd president of the Royal College of Physicians. The consultant nephrologist and our Director for Conduct and Progress will be the fourth woman and the first woman of Indian descent to lead the RCP.
Following her election to President, Dr Patel took a moment to reflect on what the the values and passions she will bring to the role, and share some encouragement to student doctors who may be looking to follow in her footsteps.
Congratulations on your election to president. What does the appointment mean to you?
I am deeply honoured to be elected as the 123rd President of the RCP. I am proud to be the fifth woman and the first person of colour to be elected. I am the first President of the RCP who is of South Asian descent and who is Muslim. It is a huge opportunity to educate, improve and influence at a national and international level, to support our membership at every career stage and to drive improvement in healthcare for our patients and wider communities.
You have said you will bring a values-driven approach to your role, which values are most important to you in leadership?
Honesty, integrity, respect, empathy and compassion. These values are crucial for building trust, fostering a positive supportive culture and achieving shared mutual goals for your staff, teams and the organisation. These values were instilled in me at a young age and I do my best to lead by example in all that I do.
You were previously the College’s Vice President for Education and Training and have designed numerous education and leadership courses in the UK. Where did your passion for education and leadership come from and how did you develop this alongside your clinical practise?
I love education and training and that is a core theme in all that I have done in my career. I love the idea of giving back and supporting the next generation. I have faced a number of barriers and challenges in my career, and I want to teach others how to overcome these. My mum was not able to continue her education beyond the age of 14, and she always told us, education is power, education is a privilege, and education will be your path to independence. Leadership is part of that. Leading by example, supporting others in their journey and developing our next generation of physicians.
Teaching and training is a big part of being a doctor and I did this seamlessly in my clinical practice. You teach medical students who are on the wards, resident doctors, nurses and other health care professionals alongside your clinical practice and integrate it in all that you do. I will always make time for education and leadership and it is core to all that I do.
Can you tell us more about the Global Women Leaders Programme you have developed to support female physicians in achieving leadership positions?
Global Women Leaders is a programme I am very passionate about and I designed and developed around 5 years ago. It aims to reduce the gender leadership gap globally by promoting system change to enable and empower women to advance into senior leadership roles.
Women make up 70% of the healthcare workforce but only 25% are in senior leadership positions in high income countries and less than 5% are senior leaders in low and middle-income countries. The gender leadership gap negatively impacts on health outcomes for women and children and I am committed and determined to change that.
We launched the programme in Pakistan in 2022 where the gender leadership gap was the worst and since then have delivered the programme there and in other countries such as Jordan, India and Hong Kong. The programme focuses on a framework of individual, organisational leadership capability to drive sustained system change. Our evaluation from delivery of our programmes is achieving this but there is much more work that needs to be done.
What advice would you have for students who share your same passions, or who have ambitions to lead a Royal College themselves one day?
I would say anything is possible. I started from very humble beginnings and now I am President of one of the largest and oldest royal medical colleges in the world. You can do anything. Always have the ambitions, work hard, set yourself goals to achieve it and then set higher goals and keep going. You will achieve what you strive to do.
Congratulations Dr Patel!