Meet the RBI x CAP Fellows

by | Oct 11, 2022 | Racism and Bias, Uncategorized

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?

by | Sep 30, 2022 | Racism and Bias, Uncategorized

 

 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. 

Join Us on Zoom.
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 
Tell Me More.
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.

Decks on Demand.

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 
Racism and Bias Initiative (RBI) x Center for Anti-Racism in Practice (CAP) Fellowship for Icahn School of Medicine Students

Racism and Bias Initiative (RBI) x Center for Anti-Racism in Practice (CAP) Fellowship for Icahn School of Medicine Students

by | Aug 21, 2022 | Racism and Bias

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. Fellows will serve as an invaluable capacity-building resource for school and institution-wide anti-racism initiatives.

 

Applications Open: Monday, August 22

Applications Close: Monday, September 5

As a fellow, here’s what you’ll do:

While any of these activities may result in a scholarly product,

the primary purpose of RBI x CAP Fellows is to expand the workforce

focused on anti-racism work for the Icahn School of Medicine

at Mount Sinai. 

 

Fellow projects for the 2022-2023 cycle are:

Situational Judgment Tests

  • Name of project: Investigating the use of situational judgment tests (SJT) and their use in ISMMS MD and MD/PhD admissions
  • Project supervisor(s): Carrie Ernst, MD, Valerie Parkas, MD, Talia Swartz, MD, PhD
  • Why is this project important?: AAMC is piloting a new SJT (PREview) which will be broadly available in the upcoming academic year. We aim to evaluate how this can be used equitably in assessing our applicants and mapping these assessments to our attributes.
  • Brief description: Situational judgment tests are designed to evaluate applicants based on how they would respond to specific situations as a measure of pre-professional competencies. In this project, we are seeking to Aim 1) review the literature on situational judgment tests with a lens toward equity to understand how racism and bias may manifest or be mitigated by this assessment and Aim 2) map how the ISMMS attributes in successful candidates are measured using SJT.
  • Outcomes/deliverables: Aim 1) to generate a literature review manuscript on racism and bias in SJTs in medical school admissions and Aim 2) to create a scheme understanding how use of the PREview results could inform admissions at the ISMMS. 
  • Responsibilities: Conduct literature review, develop a scheme, draft a manuscript, present work to the admissions team and Selections Subcommittee, and attend meetings.  

Equity Audit

  • Name of project: Conducting an equity audit of student policies 
  • Project supervisors: Leona Hess, PhD
  • Why is this project important? It is critical to identify institutional practices that produce discriminatory trends in data that affect students. 
  • Brief Description: As part of the change target of the school-wide sphere of the RBI’s Guiding Coalition, a protocol was developed to provide a structure for examining existing written policies and institutionalizing a process of developing, implementing, and assessing the impact and outcomes of policies over time. The next phase is to conduct an equity audit with a focus on 15 student facing policies. 
  • Outcomes/deliverables: Aim 1) Equity audit of 15 current student facing policies and Aim 2) a planning document outlining how we will develop, implement/enforce and assess the impact/outcomes of policies to eliminate potential barriers. 
  • Responsibilities: Partner with the Director of Quality, Compliance, & Accreditation and various functional areas of the Dept. of Med Ed.; use the protocol to facilitate one-on-one interviews and small group meetings with students to examine current written policies; contribute to the planning document; and attend planning group meetings and present audit findings.
    •  

Anti-Racist Transformation in Medical Education (ART in Med Ed)

  • Name of project: Developing the capacity of eleven medical schools across the country and Canada to dismantle systemic racism and bias. 
  • Project supervisors: Leona Hess, PhD and Chloe Martin, MSW, David Muller, MD
  • Brief Description: Anti-Racist Transformation in Medical Education (ART in Med Ed) is a three-year Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation grant-funded project aimed at implementing and adapting Icahn School of Medicine and Mount Sinai’s (ISMMS) change-management strategy with 11 partner medical schools in the United States and Canada (more info here). The ART in Med Ed team/program has always prioritized elevating the student perspective as a critical aspect of co-creating how we work, learn, grow and change together. This is a great opportunity if you are interested in medical education, administrative leadership, teaching, and/or gaining skills related to organizational change management. It’s also a great way to get exposure and network with health professionals across the country.
  • Outcomes/deliverables: Aim 1) sustain the community of practice among students; and Aim 2) assist in developing the capacity of medical schools to dismantle systemic racism and bias in their work and learning environments.
  • Responsibilities: Participate in regular team meetings with the ART in Med Ed team (can be flexible based on student schedule); facilitate monthly coaching sessions for students; analyze project data and report findings in collaboration with the ART in Med Ed team; work independently to develop change management content, session materials, and other program-related tasks (with support available); and identify projects of interest. 

Anti-Oppressive Curriculum Revamp

  • Name of project: Scaffolding curriculum content to achieve anti-oppressive Medical Education Program Objective (MEPO) 
  • Project supervisors: Leona Hess, Phd, Ann-Gel Palermo, DrPH MPH, Rainier Soriano, MD and Joe Truglio, MD 
  • Why is this project important? We are currently undertaking a curriculum revamp and this is the time to ensure our existing course content is aligned and scaffolded to achieve the new anti-oppressive MEPO. 
  • Brief Description: Over the years there has been an intentional effort to map existing course content across four-years of the curriculum that focuses on health disparities, social determinants of health, race, diversity, equity, inclusion, anti-racism, structural competency, race-based and race-conscious medicine, etc. The next step is to take the map and identify any gaps, remove redundancies, and ensure the content is aligned and scaffolded to achieve the new anti-oppressive MEPO. The goal is to inform the new curriculum that will roll out in the academic year 2024-2025.
  • Outcomes/deliverables: Aim 1) updated curriculum map with scaffolded content, including learning objectives and measurements/assessments. 
  • Responsibilities: Collaborate with project supervisors to develop scaffolding framework, collect and assess existing course content, identify content gaps, meet with students/student groups to gather feedback and content requests, attend curriculum revamp meetings, attend meeting with pedagogy expert, present work to curricular affairs and CAP, etc.

Student Sphere

  • Name of project: Leading the student sphere of the RBI’s Guiding Coalition 
  • Project supervisors: Alia Barnes, MPH and Leona Hess, PhD 
  • Brief Description: As part of the Racism and Bias Initiative’s (RBI) change management plan, our commitment is to establish a diverse guiding coalition of faculty, staff, leadership, and students to determine the change targets, identify options for implementation, make decisions about where energy and resources should be focused, determine how to hold people accountable, and manage resistance in the medical school and beyond. The guiding coalition is made up of seven spheres or functional areas: Admissions, Curricular Affairs, Student Affairs, Clinical, Resources, Medical School-Wide, and Student.  
  • Outcomes/deliverables: Aim) Oversee and monitor the change targets in the student sphere; Aim 2) Oversee student involvement in Chats for Change, Orientation, and other RBI Sphere work. 
  • Responsibilities: Attend two 1-hour Guiding Coalition meetings a month; participate in the guiding coalition planning process for 2023; recruit and convene students and student groups in the change target development and implementation; track and monitor change over the year; and meet with guiding coalition leadership.

Propose Your Own Project

  • This year we are offering an opportunity for a fellow to propose and execute an innovative project of their own. In the application you will have the opportunity to submit a potential project name, supervisors, description, outcomes/deliverables, and responsibilities. We are looking for a project that is:

    • Aligned with our mission to nurture a visionary community of students, staff, faculty and leaders who are committed to advancing exceptional clinical care and science that is free of racism and oppression in all its forms;
    • Designed to address a gap or concern related to our learning environment;
    • Achievable in 8 months; and 
    • Innovative and doesn’t duplicate or complete with the current twenty-four change targets 

Fellows will:

  • be closely mentored by Med Ed leadership and CAP
  • work with or be a liaison to other relevant medical school administrators, students, and partners including but not limited to the Office for Diversity & Inclusion and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
  • be part of a Fellows community of practice and mutual support
  • learn anti-racist and anti-oppressive teaching, facilitation, and reflection practices
  • learn leadership, communication, and conflict resolution skills
  • have opportunities to develop projects into scholarly products
  • develop the capacity to design and facilitate equity programming beyond medical school, in residency training and their professional careers
  • when applicable, manage a modest programming budget and submit required documentation to Med Ed administration
  • receive a stipend of $5,000 for every year that they serve as a fellow

Fellow Requirements:

  • Approximately 20 hours/month for the eight-month commitment.
  • Fellows may apply to renew their commitment in subsequent years, up to their full tenure at ISMMS.
  • Student on Scholarly Year may not apply for a RBI x CAP Fellowship
  • Participate in two training/program planning lunches each semester that will bring together all Fellows.
  • Complete one scheduled check-in per semester with the Dean for Medical Education.
  • Fellows will present their work to the RBI Guiding Coalition, Senior Leadership Committee, and other key stakeholders in a “re-CAP” presentation at the close of the Fellowship
  • Up to six fellows will be selected to participate.

Application Process

Candidates will be required to submit their CV and answer the following questions in a total of 500 words or less.

Submitted applications will be reviewed and scored by a selection committee comprising of members of the Racism and Bias Initiative Guiding Coalition (Medical Education faculty, staff, leaders, and students). The committee will also conduct one round of interviews with all eligible applicants. Each reviewer will consider your alignment with the School’s vision and values, and your track record of contributions/leadership in addressing racism and bias.

Ready to apply?

Submit all applications by Monday, September 5.

Apply Now

On the Pulse: August/September

by | Sep 26, 2021 | Racism and Bias, Uncategorized

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.

Change Targets
RBI Action Update

On the Pulse: June/July Action Updates

by | Jul 12, 2021 | Racism and Bias, Uncategorized

Admissions Sphere

We have had a busy and productive month, with one class about to start and admissions work for the new cycle under way. We have almost all new admissions committee members trained and ready to begin. Our inaugural committee development session is scheduled for August where we will take a deep dive on important admissions topics like Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Metrics and Letters of Recommendation. We see this as a great step forward in nurturing and further developing our committee culture of thoughtful and holistic evaluation.

We have also gained momentum in the planning of our pathway retreat, where stakeholders will gain awareness of what the various programs we as an institution have to offer. With this growing collaboration we hope to harness valuable expertise and resources to best prepare the future science and medicine workforce. Learn more.

Clinical Sphere

The clinical sphere has continued to work within the pediatrics department to facilitate the Chats for Change series to normalize open dialogue about racism and bias. We have completed the two part series of chats for change and have continued discussions around requests for future sessions. We are taking an intentional pause to reflect and strategize about next steps. We are exploring and implementing a survey around chats for change experiences as well conducting a needs based assessment with our original stakeholders. Learn more.

Student Affairs Sphere

Student Affairs has collected verbal feedback from students about their advising experiences. The feedback has indicated that students are not always aware of how they can utilize their faculty advisor. We are working with Leona to create a one pager that describes Appreciative Advising so that students can learn about the advising model that we have implemented. We will also have a new Appreciative Advising “timeline” that will act as a schedule for when the different steps of Appreciative Advising should be carried out throughout a student’s time in medical school. Students will learn about Appreciative Advising in orientation so that there is more awareness around how advisor’s support students. 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. 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 have been able to analyze the comprehensive student survey data that assessed student engagement in anti-racist efforts. We are finalizing the quantitative analysis and planning to distribute the information to key stakeholders. We are looking forward to potentially conducting qualitative analysis to supplement the quantitative data. Learn more.

Medical School-Wide

The mission statement campaign is pushing forward. The qualitative analysis of the Padlet responses has been completed and will be shared with the medical education community. During this time, we hope to partake in engaging dialogue with faculty, staff, and students. Once completed and a series of new statements are composed, we hope to reveal a new mission statement during the fall’s anti-racist town hall. Regarding the Campus Climate Survey, our team (Med Ed and GSBS workgroup) has focused on building a timeline, gaining and organizing feedback from students, faculty, and staff stakeholders across Medical Education and GSBS.

We have met with the external vendor, Viewfinder, who will conduct the survey to organize logistical details and to set deadlines for survey question delivery, and communicated and tested technological requirements with the appropriate departments. We will continue to integrate and compile outstanding feedback from stakeholders into the finalized questions to be communicated to the vendor, and will then enter the testing phase. 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.

Change Targets
RBI Action Update