Meet the RBI x CAP Fellows

Our mission is to support and advance the lifelong pursuit of anti-racism, equity, and racial justice as the organizing principles of medical education at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS).

RBI x CAP Fellows will work closely with ISMMS leaders across all functional areas of the school of medicine and report directly to the co-Directors of the Center for Anti-Racism in Practice (CAP). Fellows will serve as an invaluable capacity-building resource for school and institution-wide anti-racism initiatives.

 

Meet the Fellows

Carina Seah

MD/PhD Candidate, Fourth-year Student
Project: Mitigating biological essentialism in teaching of race vs ancestry concepts in medical/graduate education

What are you looking forward to most about your project?

“I’m most looking forward to impacting how doctors and researchers are trained to generate new knowledge–asked, created, and communicated through an anti-racist, community-centered, and equity-first lens.“

If you could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, who would it be and why? 

“Marie Curie, for her barrier-breaking science, commitment to equitable access of her discoveries, and her humility. I’d ask her for her thoughts on overcoming systems of power and oppression without succumbing to them.”

Daniella Nevid

MD Candidate, Second-year Student

Project: RBI Student Sphere

What are you looking forward to most about your project?

“I am most looking forward to working alongside my co-fellows to create new initiatives and programming that will activate the student body and sow both an excitement and an imperative among students to participate in antiracist work during their time at Sinai.”

 

If you could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, who would it be and why? 

“I would ask Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel his advice because as a civil rights activist, I believe he would provide unique insight to help advance our work in RBI, and, as a philosopher, I imagine he would have a distinctly inspirational way of delivering it.”

Don Nguyen

MD/PhD Candidate, Sixth-year Student

Project: Anti-Oppressive Curriculum Revamp

What are you looking forward to most about your project?

“I am very excited to help revamp the medical school curriculum and hopefully make a positive impact on education of Anti-oppression for future generations of Mount Sinai medical students.”

If you could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, who would it be and why? 

“I would seek advice from Audre Lorde and ask her how she balanced her commitment to activism with her own wellbeing and personal life.”

Edward Sarfo

MD Candidate, Second-year Student

Project: Situational Judgment Tests

What are you looking forward to most about your project?

“I am excited to learn and do my part in critically examining how this new AAMC PREview test would be utilized to not further aggravate racism and bias, and also to fulfill Sinai’s anti-racist mission. Despite the increasing number of methods for evaluating medical school applicants, it is essential that these methods are scrutinized through an equity lens.”

If you could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, who would it be and why? 

“I choose Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president who liberated the country from British colonial rule. After Ghana’s independence, he had a vision for an African continent that was fully independent, united, and strong. Until his untimely death, he worked to restore the dignity that was eroded from Africans as a result of colonialism and the slave trade. In the same way that the black and white keys of a piano work together to create harmony, Dr. Nkrumah fought for equality and a world without racism. This world could use some of Dr. Nkrumah’s advice.”

Jerrel Catlett

MD/PhD Candidate, Third-year Student

Project: Situational Judgment Tests

What are you looking forward to most about your project?

“I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to create new paradigms for evaluating prospective students that gives greater weight to their commitment to dismantling racism and bias in the medical field.”

If you could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, who would it be and why? 

“I would want to have a conversation with the prolific restaurateur and humanitarian José Andrés to ask for advice on how to leverage my disparate passions for medical research and culinary pursuits to improve the lives of communities of color within New York City.”

Marcia Lange

MD/PhD Candidate, Fourth-year Student

Project: Anti-Oppressive Curriculum Revamp

What are you looking forward to most about your project?

“I am looking forward to improving our medical curriculum and that of other schools so that we can as a profession learn how to better serve our patients, peers, and communities in a healthcare environment that takes into account the impact of power, inequality, and oppression on health and wellbeing.”

If you could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, who would it be and why? 

“If I could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, it would likely be Dr Uche Blackstock, one of my idols! She is a trailblazer in the diversity, inclusion, and racial equity sphere in healthcare and I would love to get advice on what she believes are the highest priorities in terms of creating a workplace and learning environment free of bias and racism.”

Nasseef Quasim

MD Candidate, Second-year Student

Project: RBI Student Sphere

 

What are you looking forward to most about your project?

I am most excited to learn more about anti racist work and how to put into action in a way that many students want to engage with.”

 

If you could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, who would it be and why? 

“I would ask for advice from Matthieu Ricard. He’s been called the happiest person in the world, yet says he knows those that are even happier. Wouldn’t be bad to learn more about simple joy from him and others.”

Paloma Orozco Scott

MD Candidate, Fourth-year Student

Project: Equity Policy Audit

What are you looking forward to most about your project?

“I’m excited to apply all I’ve learned from RBI, Dr. Hess, Dr. Palermo, Dr. Leisman, Dr. Meah, Dr. Soriano, and the many other mentors I’ve had at Sinai towards analyzing Sinai medical education policy’s impact on equity, justice, and anti-racism. As a fourth year, this feels like a culminating moment where my experiences will help me leave a legacy of anti-racist and improved policies/processes for the students who come next.”

 

If you could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, who would it be and why? 

“I would ask for advice from my maternal Grandmother, Antonia Ramirez. She developed Alzheimer’s before I could ask her this question, but I would ask how despite the massive adversities in her life she remained a positive person who exuded love of life and family?”

Rachel Kasdin

MD Candidate, First-year Student

Project: ART in MedEd

What are you looking forward to most about your project?

“One of my top priorities in choosing a medical school was to ensure that my education would be defined by a commitment to scientific rigor and an institutional willingness to grapple with the historical and contemporary systems of oppression that shape medical education and medical care. While the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai stands out amongst its peers in its dedication to diversity and dismantling racism, its mission to do so remains urgent, challenging, and necessary. I am most looking forward to being a member of the Anti-Racist Transformation in Medical Education Team because of the platform it will give me to learn from ISMMS’s existing anti-racist practices, push the institution further towards its vision and, most importantly, share what we have learned thus far with peer institutions in the United States and Canada.”

 

If you could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, who would it be and why? 

“Although perhaps not a historical figure, my paternal grandma is who comes to mind first. As I became an adult, she developed dementia and lost her ability to speak before passing away in 2019. I wish I could go back in time to when she was well enough to give me advice, or that she could give my adult-self advice. She directed a nursery school for years and was a central pillar in the communities she was a part of at this school, at her synagogue, among her friends, and in my extended family. She inhabited these roles, however, with a quiet confidence and fierce love/loyalty for those who she thought might need it most or who she noticed were pushed away by others. I often find myself pausing to wonder what wisdom she would share with me now if she could.”

Tracy Okine

MD/PhD Candidate, Second-year Student

Project: RBI Student Sphere

 

What are you looking forward to most about your project?

“I am looking forward to many things including working with the faculty involved, serving the student sphere, and building on my skills in this area through mentorship while sharing my perspective via initiatives.”

 

If you could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, who would it be and why? 

“This a tough one. For advice specifically, I think Dr. Maya Angelou or Dr. Santiago Ramon Y Cajal or my great grandmother!”

Wayland Chiu

MD Candidate, First-year Student

Project: ART in MedEd

What are you looking forward to most about your project?

“What I am looking forward to most about being part of the Anti-Racist Transformation in Medical Education project is helping to make a difference in the way medical institutions engage medical students to think critically about race from a structural and personal level, which I believe will ultimately elevate patient care by training students to become culturally competent physicians.”

 

If you could ask for advice from any historical figure, past or present, who would it be and why? 

“If I could ask for advice from any historical figure, it would have to be from Zhuge Liang (also called Kong Ming) who is arguably the most brilliant mind in all of Chinese history.  He is mostly known for being a legendary diplomat, advisor, and battle tactician during the Three Kingdoms period and was later immortalized in the Chinese novel/epic “Romance of the Three Kingdoms,” which is one of the four great Chinese literary works.  In addition to his political and military roles, Zhuge Liang was also an accomplished inventor, author, and philosopher with experience and expertise spanning a wide range of subjects.  When faced with seemingly impossible challenges, he thoroughly analyzed the resources and circumstances around him to create elegant solutions.  If I were to ever require advice, I would rely on his resourcefulness and breadth of knowledge to solve whatever problem I was facing.”

The RBI x CAP Fellowship could not be possible without the leadership of Medical Education, Racism & Bias Initiative (RBI), the Center for Antiracism in Practice (CAP), our project administrators across the School, and the advocacy and dedication of our students. The Fellowship ensures that students who participate in anti-racism efforts have an opportunity to be compensated for their work, and to be directly mentored by antiracism thought leaders at Icahn Mount Sinai.

Please join us in congratulating and welcoming our second cohort of Fellows as they commence their RBI x CAP Fellowship and take on a vital role at our school. If you have any questions about the RBI x CAP Fellowship, please email jay.johnson@mssm.edu. You can learn additional details about this year’s fellowship projects here.

What’s New with Chats for Change?

 

 At the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Chats for Change was built on the notion that in order to respond to racism and to be anti-racist we must engage in dialogue, learning and action.

 

Beginning in the fall of 2018, the Department of Medical Education launched Chats for Change—a series of sessions that spark dialogue centered on racism and bias in medicine. The idea of Chats for Change was developed in response to medical education staff and medical students who wanted dedicated time to engage in a dialogue as a community to deepen our understanding and ability to address racism.

 All faculty, staff, trainees, students and others within the health system are invited to engage in dialogue and work towards common understanding by contributing their best thinking, knowing that other peoples’ reflections help to improve their thinking rather than destroy it. We are committed to engaging in dialogue in order to help us reveal our assumptions and biases for self-revaluation.

 By participating in Chats for Change, we offer an opportunity for attendees to explore key concepts related to racism and bias and uncover who they are in relation to others. Even though the dialogue is structured, the expectation is for attendees to express themselves from their own lived perspectives and listen for deeper understanding and insight.

 In August 2020, we launched the national edition of Chats for Change, a series of monthly dialogues focused on topics related to racism and bias in medicine. All medical schools from across the country and Canada are welcome—staff, faculty, trainees, leadership and students.

 

The Process

Each Chats for Change follows the same format:

  1. We open each session with a check in and a review of the grounding assumptions.
  2. The facilitators then introduce a concept or topic related to racism and bias.
  3. To level set knowledge we provide a frame and definition.
  4. The group then goes into breakout rooms to discuss the guiding questions related to the concept or topic.
  5. We then return to the larger group for debrief and close the session with a reflection about what we need to learn or unlearn.

Feedback

Out of 311 respondents:

  • 92% of respondents reported that Chats for Change simulates their interest in the topic.
  • 85% reported Chats for Change dialogue will help them take sound action in the future.
  • 95% would recommend Chats for Change to a colleague or peer.

To the right is what a few attendees had to say about their experience with Chats for Change:

I find Chats for Change amongst the most valuable learning sessions that I have ever had at Mount Sinai. I have grown through them. Thank you.”

“This venue allows for respectful open and honest conversations with colleagues and allows me to think of different ways to do my work and hear specific examples of things that have worked in other universities.” 

“What I really appreciated about this was the small bite sized ways that we could engage with the content”

“I’m just fatigued. It helps and feels validating to hear other people experiencing similar experiences and feelings as me.”

Here’s how you can get involved with Chats for Change.

 
Attend Chats for Change

Join the National Chats for Change to conclude the three-part series called In the News. The media is a powerful socialization tool that creates unspoken attitudes, beliefs, and narratives through messages and images. We often do not stop, reflect, and analyze how this tool impacts us as individuals and the environments in which we work and learn. 

Become a Facilitator

If you are interested in learning more about how to facilitate Chats for Change, please sign up to attend one of our upcoming trainings. Space is limited.

  • 10/19 11:00-12:00p EST 
  • 10/20 3:00-4:00p EST 
  • 10/24 1:00-2:00p EST 
  • 10/26 1:00-2:00p EST 
Download New Content

We are making the Chats for Change slide decks available. Please fill out this brief form to gain access to the shared folder. We are launching the Say what you mean, mean what you say series first.

Shout Outs

Last but not least, we would like to recognize the Chats for Change core group facilitator group for their dedication and commitment to this work. We have facilitated over a hundred and twenty topics with over 3,000 attendees. Congrats!

 

Special thanks to:
Alia Barnes, MPH   |  Ashley Michelle Fowler, MEd  |  Leona Hess, PhD, MSW  |  Jay Johnson, CHES  |  Jenn Meyer, MPH, MSW  |  David Muller, MD  |  Ann-Gel Palermo, DrPH  |  Pete Zweig, MPA 

On the Pulse: June Action Update

This month, we ramped up our communication efforts to inform specific stakeholders of our progress and we diligently worked to make our twenty-four change targets actionable and impactful.

Admissions Sphere

The Admissions Sphere is planning for the new Admissions Committee members to build upon the wins of previous admissions cycles after developing the 2022-2023 training and setting the agenda and toolkit for the Faculty Development Process. Sphere members have finalized the committee demographics survey and will be administering it in July.

Clinical Sphere

The Curriculum Clinic Series, sponsored by the Center for Antiracism in Practice (CAP), ended a second full cycle, with 50+ course and clerkship directors having participated in three workshops. Feedback for the most recent sessions have been increasingly positive, and logistical planning for the upcoming Fall series is underway.

Curricular Affairs Sphere

The Curricular Affairs Sphere will share a new update in upcoming months.

Student Affairs Sphere

The Student Affairs Sphere will share a new update in upcoming months.

Student Resources Sphere

The Student Resources Sphere has made steady progress toward achieving its change targets. They have begun to compile learning and professional development resources. In doing so, the sphere will serve as a conduit in connecting staff to resources that cultivate an environment of anti-racism across the Department. Sphere members met with ODI and plans to connect with CAP and Admissions to continue gathering resources. In the process of determining a database/accessible space to catalog all resources.

Student Sphere

This month the Student Sphere began orientation planning for RBI programming for the class of 2026. They have analyzed data from the spring student group retreat and are planning the programming for the fall student group retreat. The EHHOP DEIA Subcommittee Chair has began to develop curriculum for an anti-racist clinical skills training for senior clinicians at EHHOP. Lastly, sphere members have begun research on best practices for communication and marketing strategies on how to engage students in anti-racist work.

Medical School-Wide

The Medical School-Wide Sphere accomplished several major progress checkpoints on our change targets. In May, we conducted the first Unity in Action (UiA) town hall which received an overwhelming amount of support that the town hall promoted dialogue related to racism and bias. We continue to make strides toward our vision to become a health system and health professions school with the most diverse workforce, providing health care and education that is free of racism and bias. As we consider and prepare the fall town hall, we will continue to ensure that we are striving towards our vision. Chats for Change is expanding, we’re developing a structure to support hospital-based dialogue. The sphere has decided to shift the silo-busting target to support a trauma-informed, restorative justice-focused response strategy with a dedicated team who can support students who experience incidents of racism and bias in the educational environment. Regarding the Climate Survey, planning is underway for focus groups to discuss the survey results. Lastly, we are brainstorming how to conduct an equity-review of student and staff department policies, using a literature review as the foundation. 

For more information about the on-going focused work within the spheres, check out the Change Targets tracker and our latest release of the RBI April 2021 Action Update.

On the Pulse: May Action Update

This month, we ramped up our communication efforts to inform specific stakeholders of our progress and we diligently worked to make our twenty-four change targets actionable and impactful.

Admissions Sphere

The Admissions Sphere has formed a plan for the 2023 application cycle, and is currently organizing materials and information in order to educate and train existing and new Admissions Committee members. It is time to begin the onboarding process of both new faculty and student members to the Admissions Committee. Sphere members are almost done refining the committee demographics survey that will be administered in July. 

Clinical Sphere

Health Equity journal clubs continue monthly in Pediatrics and are inter-professional. Draft written policies/procedures for the journal club were approved by the stakeholders in Pediatrics. New members and leaders will be recruited over the summer of 2022.

Curricular Affairs Sphere

The Curricular Affairs Sphere will share a new update in upcoming months.

Student Affairs Sphere

The Student Affairs Sphere will share a new update in upcoming months.

Student Resources Sphere

The Student Resources Sphere has made steady progress toward achieving its change targets. Nearly all Med Ed staff will have participated in an unconscious bias workshop facilitated by a certified ODI-Med Ed trainer. Participation in this workshop will enable staff to apply strategies for practicing conscious awareness, and identify and mitigate the effects of bias.  Additionally, the Student Resources Sphere has begun to compile learning and professional development resources. In doing so, the sphere will serve as a conduit in connecting staff to resources that cultivate an environment of anti-racism across the Department.

Student Sphere

The student sphere has begun recruiting students and faculty members to plan for the Person-Role-System orientation series for the class of 2026. Sphere members are researching best practices for engaging students in transformational change and enhancing our communications to increase visibility within the student body.

Medical School-Wide

The medical-school wide sphere has developed a schedule for the Unity in Action town halls. The first Unity in Action town hall of the year is scheduled for May 26, led by representatives from both the graduate and medical schools. Additionally, the summer series for Chats for Change has been finalized, with facilitators from various areas of the medical school and hospital leadership who are leading the dialogue. The medical-school wide sphere has decided to pivot from researching silo-busting techniques to researching how faculty members can incorporate trauma informed techniques into medical education. 

For more information about the on-going focused work within the spheres, check out the Change Targets tracker and our latest release of the RBI April 2021 Action Update.

On the Pulse: April 2022 Action Update

Admissions Sphere

The Admissions sphere, in collaboration with RBI leadership, have developed a plan for this cycle to continue educating the Admissions Committee on unconscious bias in evaluation. We have incorporated bias training/onboarding, implemented the Bias Tracking Form and review entries to inform committee education, and utilize the Time-In tool during discussions. We are now formalizing the implementation of the “Time-In” tool for others to adopt in their committee structure and will now add on sessions to address the impact of bias and provide concrete tools to help interrupt and educate others about bias. We are currently in the planning stages and will begin delivering new content with the start of the 2023 application cycle.

 

We have worked with the Faculty Council to define and dissect the process of recruiting new admissions committee members for both the MD and MD/PhD programs. We have learned about the current process and are engaged in the following to broaden the diversity of the committee: we have worked with the Faculty Council to modify the call out to all faculty members encouraging more faculty members across the health system to become interested in this work and including a required commitment to diversity statement. We will plan to survey the committee to identify key demographics to help inform continuous attempts to diversify the committee.

Clinical Sphere

The Clinical sphere is collaborating with social workers, residents, and providers within the Pediatrics Department to improve leadership and participation in the Peds Health Equity Journal Club. There is a journal club planned for May 4 that will feature an outside provider and our sphere is working to market the event and bolster the resources/time for maximum engagement.

Curricular Affairs Sphere

Nothing to report at this time.

Student Affairs Sphere

The Student Affairs sphere has a future meeting planned to learn from the experiences of the “Time-In” tool created by Admissions and DAG. The sphere is currently undergoing a transition of leadership but actively working towards achieving their change targets. Additionally, the Student Affairs sphere is working to increase the capacity of Faculty Advisors to coach students through difficult situations by using appreciative advising strategies. To accomplish this, the sphere is creating case examples to accompany ongoing practices. A year-long calendar is being created by the Student Affairs leadership. The calendar will be used to guide ongoing and future meetings held by advisors.

Student Resources Sphere

This past month the Resource Sphere has made progress in planning for the upcoming year and in particular on its change target to increase understanding of unconscious bias.

By the end of March, with few if any exceptions, all Med Ed staff will have participated in an unconscious bias workshop facilitated by a certified ODI-Med Ed trainer. Participation in this workshop should enable staff to apply strategies for practicing conscious awareness and identify and mitigate the effect of biases.

Additionally, the Resources Sphere is in the planning stage for change targets to increase access to anti-racist resources and professional development opportunities. In this work, the sphere will serve as a conduit in connecting staff to resources that cultivate an environment of anti-racism across the Department.

Student Sphere

This past month, the Student sphere has worked on a variety of initiatives. We hosted a student group retreat for individual students and student groups to come together as a community of practice to brainstorm ways for collaboration and increased communication pertaining to anti-racist work at ISSMS. Additionally, the student sphere and the new DEIA chair of EHHOP met with EHHOP leadership to brainstorm ideas to create a culture shift within EHHOP that embraces and sustains anti-racist care. We have made headway in planning out the next few months as students begin to transition into the next year and identifying necessary individuals as point people for different projects.

Medical School-Wide

The Medical-School wide sphere has focused on the Unity in Action schedule, identifying silo-busting techniques, and finalizing the Chats for Change schedule. The UiA Schedule and planning document was created with town halls planned for August, May, and December. The schedule has been communicated to the Deans of both schools to begin to set dates for each, after which topic workgroups will be selected, informed, and convened.

Additionally, the Med-School Wide sphere completed a preliminary search for silo-busting techniques. In addition to completing an initial search, the sphere presented the techniques to the GC. An enriching discussion was held to discuss the creation and continued support of silos and if the identified techniques truly were successful in combating silos. From this dialogue, the sphere will continue to research best practices that will be used to create a silo-busting tool.

Lastly, the summer series of the Chats for Change schedule is currently being organized. This season, members are engaging with various stakeholders across the institution to increase partnerships. Participant data was analyzed and used to brainstorm how to increase participation and awareness.

For more information about the on-going focused work within the spheres, check out the Change Targets tracker and our latest release of the RBI April 2022 Action Update.

On the Pulse: August/September

Admissions Sphere

Committee training is now complete for the 2022 admissions cycle and we are gearing up for the interview season. Our first committee development session proved to be an informative, inspiring and engaging experience for all. Relevant and timely presentations led to robust and thoughtful conversation. With members from both the MD and MD/PhD committees present we are encouraged and plan to harness the momentum to continue these sessions to learn and grow together. Learn more.

Clinical Sphere

In August, the Clinical Sphere reached out to stakeholders in the Department of Pediatrics, including Faculty, Social Workers, House Staff, Patient Representatives, Clinical Admin leaders, Nursing, and Child Life to talk about how we can help these stakeholders achieve their anti-racism goals. We have had several meetings already and will continue this fact-finding/needs assessment in the coming months. Learn more.

Student Affairs Sphere

Faculty Advisors met with incoming students at orientation and began the process of informing students about Appreciative Advising by describing the phases of the AA model to their learning communities. A timeline has been created for the faculty advisors to implement the steps of Appreciative Advising when communicating with students. This month they have focused on getting to know their students through the phases of Disarming (creating a safe, welcoming space for students) and Discovery (identifying strengths and offering affirmation).  Learn more.

Student Resources Sphere

In June, the Student Resources Sphere held a series of three equity lens workshops with staff and faculty from the medical and graduate schools. In July and August, participants will integrate techniques and strategies derived from these workshops in order to critically analyze their functional areas for equity barriers and opportunities and come together to report-out on their progress. The overarching goal of this program is to cultivate a community of practice in which participants plan and implement impactful and practical solutions that lead to lasting, equity-centered change. Learn more.

Student Sphere

We welcomed the Class of 2025 during this week’s Person-Role-System Orientation series. Additionally, we have completed the data analysis from our engagement measures added to the student council comprehensive survey. We are currently planning to disseminate the report to key stakeholders and in key spaces (i.e., Guiding Coalition, incoming and current students, Chats for Change sessions). Feedback from these stakeholders will guide next steps in strategizing interventions to address the outcomes from the report. Learn more.

Medical School-Wide

A working group composed of faculty, staff, and students has been assembled to draft a few versions of a new mission statement. Once composed, these versions will be shared with the Med Ed community for a vote. We hope to reveal a new mission statement during an upcoming town hall. 

In the past month, the Climate Survey team has completed the feedback process across all stakeholders (Medical Education and Graduate School of Biomedical Sscience workgroup), and compiled the survey questions into a master document that was delivered to the intended survey vendor. After several meetings with the external vendor, Viewfinder, it has come to light that this vendor will not meet our needs and we have been exploring other options including new vendors and hosting the survey internally. We have begun the process of pivoting and understanding logistics for all potential options an d are currently still on track to launch the survey in September. Learn more.

For more information about the on-going focused work within the spheres, check out the Change Targets tracker and our latest release of the RBI 2021 Action Update.