O. Barnes

Madam — We read with great interest the recent issue of Clinical Oncology, particularly the Editorial by Lorimer and Simcock [ ], which focused on the need for a holistic understanding of the many complexities of managing cancer. This struck us, because we have recently completed a special study module attached to a neuro-oncology multidisciplinary team (MDT). Unfortunately, such a placement is not a common feature of many medical courses, and is often optional.

There are various motivators that prompt people to study dentistry but there is evidence that the salience of each varies according to gender and black and minority ethnic (BME) group. Given the current focus on inequality within the science, technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics (STEMM) academic disciplines where dentistry sits, it is important to understand the relevance of different motivators to different social groups if inequality is to be overcome.