Rejected medical student demands damages

A medical student at Nottingham University who was thrown off his course eight weeks before his finals has petitioned the university visitor, claiming damages and demanding to be reinstated.

Mohammed Baig, 23, said that his treatment by the medical school "amounted to lunacy" when there was an acute shortage of doctors. "The university has completely disregarded my welfare," he said. "I am desperate to finish my training, but no one picked up on the fact that I was having difficulties with my studies.

"When you don't fit into their stereotype of a medical student, you are less likely to get the benefit of the doubt," he said.

Mr Baig's petition claims that he was treated differently by the university compared with a white student whose academic record was not dissimilar.

Mr Baig said that because of family and health problems, he had to resit some elements of his course. In addition, he withdrew from the first of his senior medical placement with, he claims, the agreement of the consultant in charge, who told him there would be no penalty.

The university awarded a fail grade for the placement without informing Mr Baig. When he failed his second placement, he was told that two failures meant that he had failed his degree.

A spokesman for Nottingham University said he could not comment on the details of the case because it had been through the university's grievance procedure and the decision to terminate Mr Baig's place at Nottingham had been upheld on academic grounds.