Happy Spring Semester! In this quarterly edition of the Build and Belong Newsletter, we will highlight and celebrate some of the initiatives our amazing faculty, staff, and students are involved in, share a few highlights from Fall 2019 and Spring 2020, as well as a few exciting events coming up.
We are excited to feature many interviews in this newsletter, starting with Isela Melendez-Carpio, our new Director in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and share what brought her to Georgetown and her future goals in our office. We are also pleased to feature interviews with Dr. Christopher King from NHS, Dr. Jan LaRocque from NHS, Dr. Marcela Cámpoli from the Research Division of the Psychiatry Department and three medical students from our Council on Diversity Affairs: Sahaj Patel, Libby Wetterer and Randy Amibang.
As always, this issue will provide information about various resources, events across the School of Medicine and interesting articles under the "Good Reads" section.
Do read to the end for opportunities available to medical students, faculty, and staff! If you would like to submit an announcement or article regarding your department, organization, or club, please email us at somdiversityandinclusion@georgetown.edu with the Subject Line -ODI Newsletter Announcement.
We would like to also extend an acknowledgment to our editorial team - Samuel Chan, ODI Strategy Coordinator and Ogechi Nwaopara, Innovation Associate, for contributing to the newsletter.
~ODI Office
Please subscribe here.
- Interview with the Director of Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Isela Melendez-Carpio, M.Ed.
- Interview with the Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Health Systems Administration in the School of Nursing and Health Studies, Christopher J. King, PhD, MHSc, FACHE
- Interview with the Associate Professor in the Department of Human Science and Chair of the Executive Faculty of the School of Nursing and Health Studies, Jan LaRocque, PhD
- Interview with the Research Project Coordinator for the Research Division of the Psychiatry Department, Marcela Cámpoli, PhD, MHA, BBA
- Interview with M3 CODA member Sahaj Patel
- Interview with M4 CODA member Libby Wetterer
- Interview with M1 CODA member Randy Amibang
2. Recent Events in ODI
3. Upcoming Events in ODI
4. Opportunities and Resources for Faculty and Staff
5. Opportunities and Resources for Students
5. Good Reads
Isela Melendez-Carpio currently serves as the Office of Diversity & Inclusion new Director of Diversity and Inclusion. Prior to joining Georgetown University School of Medicine, I worked as the Assistant Director of Academic and Student Affairs at the McCourt School of Public Policy.
Her professional background has focused on working with organizations that empower underrepresented groups— such as low-income, first-generation, immigrant, LGBTQIA+, African American, Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander populations.
“My intersectional identities as a Latina, first-generation college student and immigrant from a
low-socioeconomic background make diversity and inclusion near and dear to my heart, and as an Arlingtonian, I appreciate and value the rich diversity in the D.C. Metro area” she said.
Isela believes her job is important to the medical school because it’s her duty to strive to create a diverse workforce by fostering an environment that attracts the best and brightest who bring unique and important experiences to their work. In addition to years of professional experience working with students, Ms. Melendez-Carpio brings a deep passion to this role, borne from her own personal experiences. But equally important, she brings a set of skills and talents needed to define and redefine successful strategies with the end goal of diversifying our student body and our workforce, while ensuring a healthy and robust learning experience.
Through her role as ODI’s Director of Diversity & Inclusion, Isela wishes to continue to strengthen GUSOM’s pipeline program to help underrepresented students see this as a viable option and expand the pool of diverse doctors. “Support systems are imperative for student success, which is why the Office of Diversity and Inclusion plays a special role in the development and growth of the populations we serve,” she mentioned. Isela hopes to continue building and broadening our reach to local high schools and colleges/universities, implement alumni initiatives to continue cultivating relationships with students, and ultimately prepare the next generation of health care professionals.
Dr. Christopher King, who joined the Georgetown faculty in 2015, is the new chair of the Department of Health Systems Administration at the School of Nursing & Health Studies. Dr. King is also an associate professor in the department and director of the Master of Science in Health Systems Administration Program. Before coming to Georgetown, Dr. King had close to 25 years of industry experience and completed his Ph.D. in 2013. Upon completion, Dr. King wanted to build on the lessons he had learned and put the degree to use. He specifically wanted to pursue research that would advance practice and would train the next generation of healthcare leaders with the skills to operationalize systems of care so that all people have access to safe, affordable, high-quality healthcare – regardless of socio-demographic status.
Similarly, when asked to reflect on an accomplishment he is most proud of at Georgetown, Dr. King shared that he is “especially pleased of the recognition the department is receiving at the intersection of racial equity, public health, and health systems delivery. " Dr. King has seen the expertise of the department inform practice by broadening healthcare delivery to integrate racial equity and public health concepts.
Additionally, Dr. King is a proud member of the Subcommittee Faculty for Diversity and Inclusion (FDI). Dr. King shares, “If we are committed to delivering a world-class education, we must be proactive and intentional about diversity and inclusion. It must be reflected in everything we do. All faculty/student identities should be celebrated and perceived as an institutional asset.”
One fruit that has blossomed from the FDI committee is “What I Wish You Knew”. "What I Wish You Knew" is an opportunity for students to share personal essays, poems, artwork or short videos that reflect what the student wished the faculty knew before they began teaching, in order to better enhance the learning process. When asking about the personal importance of this initiative to him, Dr. King reflects, “As an African American professor, some students have felt comfortable confiding in me and sharing instructional experiences that made them feel disconnected or ostracized. Such manifestations show up in case studies, essay questions, and group projects. In most instances, these occurrences are due to “blind spots” which occur when faculty are not accustomed to the lived experiences of those who are different. “What I Wish You Knew” gives students an opportunity to enlighten professors about instructional nuances that may be insensitive or non-inclusive."
Dr. LaRocque is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Human Science in the School of Nursing and Health Studies. Dr. LaRocque recalls being drawn to Georgetown “because of its undergraduate-focused mission and ideal hybrid between a liberal arts environment within a research institute” that allows her to “both teach and develop an independent research program that included undergraduate researchers."
Before joining FDI, Dr. LaRocque focused on improving equity and inclusion within the sciences particular for underrepresented undergraduate students. “There is evidence that underrepresented students thrive when they are in environments that maintain familiarity,” Dr. LaRocque highlights. This motivated her to join FDI to help her play a role in improving diversity and inclusion within our university leadership and faculty.
Dr. LaRocque enjoys FDI’s approach to developing teams with specific missions. “I believe this often leads to increased productivity and output in committee work,” she said. Dr. LaRocque joined the Support and Training Design Team, which focuses on identifying resources and training for faculty that will increase inclusion across GUMC.
Dr. LaRocque explains her understanding of diversity and inclusive excellence as the foundation of innovation. She explains, “We have not achieved excellence merely by providing an environment and resources to help diverse individuals surmount barriers to the same opportunities and successes afforded to others. Rather, these barriers must be eliminated. Only then, can we achieve diversity and inclusive excellence."
Dr. Marcela Cámpoli is the Research Project Coordinator for the Research Division of the Psychiatry Department, also known as the Center for the Trauma and the Community. Additionally, Dr. Cámpoli is a Lead Coach in the Bias Reduction Improvement Coaching (BRIC) Program here at Georgetown University Medical Center. Dr. Cámpoli joined Georgetown in 2007 when partnering with the Research Division of the Psychiatry Department. In 2015, she joined the newly formed Psychiatry Department Diversity and Inclusion Task Force to coordinate research involving women living with and suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to domestic violence in their childhood.
One of the reasons Dr. Cámpoli joined BRIC stemmed from her awareness "of how unconscious bias has a positive or negative impact in [her] professional interactions by limiting or expanding [her] opportunities". Dr. Cámpoli has also been completing her own self-directed research and study on the matter in order to educate her responses and to prevent her own unconscious bias when making very important decisions. The BRIC program has provided opportunities and resources for her individual and professional development, including:
1. Access to experts and expertise
2. Participation in open-minded discussions on bias reduction
3. Understanding of common challenges that might limit our capacity to change
4. Professional development opportunities across GUMC and MedStar; and
5. The ability to share goals and resources with a network of diverse and multicultural professionals
Dr. Cámpoli explains that diversity and inclusive excellence is, on one hand, "embracing differences", because she understands that they are key to our success as a community and to enrich our own lives. On the other hand, she explains that "inclusion is ensuring that diversity is respected and heard". Diversity and inclusive excellence is "fostering a welcoming environment where deeper involvement and critical thinking is permitted, promoted, and supported organization-wide. It is not only hosting events by affinity groups, but opening doors to everyone at every discussion. It is to make sure that all those affinity groups have a place on the table when decisions are made." As the saying goes, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”.
Sahaj Patel is a third-year medical student at Georgetown School of Medicine on the Population Health Track. Sahaj chose GUSOM because of its unique location in Washington, D.C. -- being at what Sahaj calls “the intersection of public health, politics, and medicine”. Since coming to Georgetown, Sahaj has had the opportunity to work with Georgetown’s Physicians for Human Rights group, Multiple Sclerosis Center, and the Office of Diversity & Inclusion’s Council on Diversity Affairs (CODA).
Sahaj joined CODA because of his passion to increase not only the diversity of the Georgetown School of Medicine community but also the level of inclusion of all members of the community. As a member of CODA, Sahaj enjoys working on projects to help people learn ways to respond to microaggressions -- whether they were the ones who unfortunately and implicitly committed one or whether they were on the receiving end. The work Sahaj has done with CODA has served as a learning opportunity for everyone involved, helping him and his teammates learn ways they can offer support to their peers in the hospital.
Being a member of CODA continuously reminds Sahaj of the importance of diversity and inclusion for many and all communities, from the LGBTQ+ community to underrepresented minorities in medicine. Sahaj says CODA helps him to look for areas of improvement in the Georgetown community while also equipping him with the tools to offer and implement solutions to those areas.
“I picked Georgetown as a medical school that would not only give me a
strong clinical foundation but would allow me to further my understanding of the social
determinants of health.” she highlights.
After deciding to go into Family Medicine, Libby became involved with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) where she obtained her current role as the student delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates, one of her most proud achievements since coming to Georgetown. “I was most excited to give testimony in regards to reproductive justice and LGBTQIA+ health,” she said.
Libby joined CODA on a mission to learn. She states “I’m passionate about creating a more inclusive environment within medical education, with a focus on increasing the number of URMs in medicine”. Through CODA, Libby recalls countless examples of how ideas become tangible events and initiatives. CODA continues to fuel Libby’s dedication to join together with her peers in a formalized group to bring about change within a larger community, whether on campus or larger -- employer, city, state, and so on.
Before applying to medical school, Randy came to Georgetown University for the Special Master’s Program. Here she developed a deep appreciation for the rigorous curriculum here at Georgetown, and supportive staff, who truly wish for the success of all the students. “Georgetown School of Medicine challenges its students to become the best they can be and supplies us with the support we need to accomplish our goals and strive in our respective professional fields,” she said.
Since coming to Georgetown, Randy is proud to have maintained a leadership role in GUSOM's SNMA, work on CODA, and mentoring within her community. Randy joined CODA for its transparency. “Being 1 of 11 black students in a class of 209 students, I needed an avenue that allowed me to advocate for the things I believed in,” she said. Randy appreciates how CODA allows students to freely vocalize the concerns they have and actively work to remedy some of those concerns.
“Being a member of CODA has definitely helped me in relinquishing control and allowing myself to be more trusting,” she highlights.
Randy enjoys being surrounded by passionate members of CODA, who actively seek the betterment of Georgetown campus culture. Randy lives by the motto to love on others. She states, “Love makes us human and shows others that we care. Love is free and there is nothing more valuable in this life than feeling loved”.
At the beginning of the new year, the Peace Team held the winter Peace Vigil. Peace Team is an enthusiastic group of students, faculty and staff members who aim to celebrate our diverse community. Their hope is to offer opportunities for the campus community to pause, develop friendships, and celebrate our spiritual diversity. At regularly scheduled multi-denominational vigils, students and faculty share reflections, prayers, and artistic compositions, allowing for the processing of trying events across our world and commemoration of moments of celebration. The Peace Team, with founding members Adeel Iqbal, Yakov Mamzhi and Mark Hanlon, work closely with Dr. Eileen Moore, Associate Dean for Community Education and Advocacy, the Office of Student Affairs, Arts & Medicine, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and faith and culture-centered student groups.
On January 16, Dr. Ranit Mishori, MD, MHS, FAAFP a practicing family physician and a recognized expert and public health advocate. Dr. Mishori spoke on "Why Doctors Should Care About Human Rights", which explored the care of immigrant and refugee communities through a human rights lens. Dr. Mishori shared personal stories from her time as a journalist covering wars and the plight of refugees, the relationship between human rights, social and political determinants of health and provided action steps and ideas for advocacy.
 
On January 21, as a part of Georgetown University’s MLK Initiative "Let Freedom Ring" and in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Georgetown School of Medicine Office of Diversity & Inclusion co-sponsored along with funding support from the Office of the President MLK Initiative, the Georgetown School of Medicine Health Justice Scholar Track held a joint event, Health Justice for All: Defending Immigrant Health and Human Rights. The forum was also co-sponsored by the Latino Medical Student Association, the Student National Medical Association, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Undocumented Student Awareness Club, the Asian Pacific American Medicine Student Association and Physicians for Human Rights. The event featured two students who shared their personal anecdotes on immigrating to the United States and the challenges they faced to receive health care. These powerful stories challenged the med school community to reflect on how students, faculty and staff can step up and fight for immigrant rights and health care as a human right. Following the sharing, there was a time of reflection and sharing in small groups.
We had several of our Peer Dialogue Facilitators and Sexual Assault Peer Educator Dialogues in January and February. Diversity Dialogues in Medicine is a dynamic peer education and community building program at the Georgetown School of Medicine. Diversity Dialogues is a year-long program during the school year (August-May) that provides a unique learning opportunity for GUMC students to engage on a range of identity topics including but not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality, and faith. Sponsored by the Office for Diversity & Inclusion at the Georgetown School of Medicine, dialogues are intergroup, gathering people from multiple backgrounds and identities for sustained, ongoing dialogue for 1-2 hours per month. Topics from January and February included Providing Emotional Support for Survivors, Interpreting Culture and Implicit Bias and Is Attraction Inherent. These dialogues feature many unique activities like crumple surveys, guest speakers or a safe space share with peers. Be on the outlook for our upcoming March dialogue, Medical Care and Attitudes Surrounding the Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Hearing-Impaired Communities! The event will be held in Proctor Harvey Amphitheater on March 11 from 12-1 pm, please RSVP here.
We would like to invite you for an important upcoming health equity forum with Ashley Gutierrez. Ashley is a doctoral extern in the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Division of Audiology and Hearing Research and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Audiology degree as a student at Nova Southeastern University. Her forum will focus on the unique beliefs and cultures within the deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing-impaired communities and how we as professionals can better understand and communicate with our patients in a way that promotes understanding and acknowledgment of their chosen identities. The event will be held in Proctor Harvey Amphitheater on March 11 from 12-1 pm, please RSVP here
The Center for New Designs in Learning & Scholarship will be hosting several events throughout March and April. One event we would like to highlight is:
How to Enhance STEM by Making It Inclusive
Instructors often focus on content and pedagogical approaches to improve student engagement and learning in STEM courses. However, there are opportunities related to our students’ sense of belonging and growth mindset that are also an opportunity to support their success. In this workshop, we will discuss different types of social psychological interventions and how to implement them in ways that have been shown to significantly impact the motivation and learning outcomes of all students, especially women and underrepresented minorities in STEM fields.
This event will be held in HFSC Herman Room on March 24 at 12:00 pm.
More events can be found here
The Center for Innovation and Leadership in Education will be hosting several events throughout March and April. One event we would like to highlight is:
MedStar Health—Georgetown University Research Symposium and Seventh Annual Colloquium for Educators in the Health Professions
This event will be held at the Bethesda North Marriott & Conference Center on April 6.
More events can be found here
We are excited to share that the Penn Visiting Clerkship for Students Underrepresented in Medicine is now receiving applications! This is their 10th year in existence and they are looking forward to welcoming 4th year medical students for month-long sub internship or elective rotations in number of specialties. The application can be found on the UPHS-CHOP Alliance of Minority Physicians website (http://www.allianceofminorityphysicians.org/penn-urm-visiting-clerkship-program.html), or can be distribute directly through this link: Penn Visiting Clerkship
This year we are offering rotations in the following specialties:
- Dermatology
- Emergency Medicine
- Family Medicine
- General Surgery
- Internal Medicine
- Neurology
- Obstetrics & Gynecology
- Otolaryngology
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Pediatrics
- Plastic Surgery
- Psychiatry
- Radiation Oncology
- Radiology
- Urology
Students will be paired with a faculty mentor, have a 1-on-1 meeting with the Residency Program Director, and receive up to $1500 in stipend funding to cover their housing and travel. Additionally, there are plenty of opportunities to meet and interact with our house staff. The application deadline is Friday, May 8th (early for EM students: April 17th). Any questions can be directed to Dr. Jessica Fowler, fowlerj@email.chop.edu
Baylor College of Medicine’s 2020 Center of Excellence in Health Equity, Training and Research (Baylor COE) Summer Research Summit will be held Tuesday, June 9th in Houston, TX. This conference is open to physicians and other healthcare professionals, residents and fellows, biomedical scientists, population health researchers, healthcare policymakers, students, community members and others nationwide who are committed to workforce diversity in the health and biomedical sciences and bringing quality healthcare to underserved and under-represented populations in the United States.
- Call for Conference Session Proposals: The Baylor COE is soliciting conference session proposals for plenary and breakout sessions connected with the annual theme and overall learning objectives for the conference. The theme for this year’s summit is Advancing Health Equity through Innovation and Technology. Proposals should be thought-provoking, and accessible to a broad technical and lay audience. The plenary and breakout session workshops are one-hour in length, and generally include 10-15 minutes for Q&A. Click here for more information and access submission form.
- Call for Research Abstracts: Each year, we host a networking and poster session for presentation of original research dedicated to workforce diversity and health equity issues. Posters will be displayed throughout the conference, with dedicated time for attendees to view the posters. There will also be a poster competition. Abstracts should highlight innovative research that will contribute to the promotion and improvement of minority health and the elimination of health disparities and inequities. All abstracts will be reviewed based on their merit by a peer-reviewed process for acceptance. Click here for more information and access the submission form.
We welcome submissions from all disciplines and levels including faculty, staff and trainees at academic institutions, private-practice healthcare providers, government agencies, community organizations, health care organizations, and research institutions. The deadline to submit a conference session proposal and/or abstract is March 15, 2020. Please email the Baylor COE at healthequity@bcm.edu if you have any additional questions.
The Children's Mercy Kansas City Minority Medical Student Elective Program (Mercy+ME) provides qualified fourth-year medical students who have historically been underrepresented in medicine (UIM) an opportunity to experience the outstanding pediatric training that Children's Mercy provides. Students participating in the program will receive a stipend to assist with travel and lodging, four (4) weeks rotating on General Pediatric and Pediatric sub specialty services, one half day per week dedicated to unique clinical and research experiences at Children's Mercy Kansas City, regular meetings with the Rotation Director, and mentoring from a current pediatric resident.
Potential pediatric rotations include Adolescent Medicine, Allergy and Immunology, Child Abuse, Gastroenterology, Hematology/Oncology, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Pulmonology, Rehabilitation Medicine, and Rheumatology.
Eligibility requirements include current medical students identified as UIM who have completed their pediatric clerkship and are in good standing at an accredited US medical school. For purposes of this elective, the following racial and ethnic groups are identified as UIM: American Indian/Native Alaskan, Black or African American, Latinx, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, UIM Asian Populations e.g., Cambodian, Indonesian, Vietnamese.
All applicants must complete an application form through the American Association of Medical Colleges' Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS) at aamc.org/programs/vsas/start.htm. Applications must be received by March 31, 2020 at 5 PM CST. The following documents must also be e-mailed to the Rotation Director, Tyler K. Smith, MD, MPH (tksmith2@cmh.edu):
- Personal statement describing the applicant's interest in pediatrics and how the Mercy+ME elective will help advance and support the applicant's career goals
- Letter of recommendation, preferably from a pediatric attending
- Curriculum vitae
All applicants will receive notification about rotation participation by May 1, 2020. Those applicants not selected for the funded rotation are encouraged to apply for unfunded electives and rotations at Children's Mercy Kansas City.
For more information, please visit our website at https://www.childrensmercy.org/professional-education/student-programs/childrens-mercy-minority-elective/ or contact the Rotation Director.
The Michigan Medicine Department of Urology is excited to announce a new program to increase diversity in urology, the Michigan Urology Academy. Please see the link for more information and the application: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/urology/education/medical-students/michigan-urology-academy-mua
This program is sponsored by the American Head and Neck Society and is intended to expose an under-represented minority medical student to the field of Head and Neck surgery specifically and Otolaryngology in general. A grant of $5000 will be awarded to a medical student to cover travel, lodging and food expenses for the summer experience. To apply, click the button below.
A grant of $5,000 will be awarded to a medical student to cover travel, lodging and food expenses for the summer experience. This summer program offers the interested candidate the opportunity to work in a Department of Academic Excellence in Head and Neck Surgical Oncology that has an approved Fellowship Training Program from the Advanced Training Council of the AHNS.
Participants will be assigned to a clinical faculty mentor and will rotate on his or her clinical service and have the chance to participate in the
care of Head and Neck Cancer patients in the outpatient setting, inpatient environment, as well as the operating room. Summer fellows will also perform basic, translational, clinical, or population-based research under the guidance of a chosen/assigned research mentor.
We are requesting applicants to submit:
- A personal statement, not more than 500 words (one page, single-spaced) detailing why you want this fellowship experience. Please include in the personal statement your underrepresented minority status.
- A copy of your CV to be included with the personal statement
- A letter of recommendation
- One Letter of Recommendation
- Students must be in good standing at an accredited US medical school
Students must be in good standing at an accredited US medical school. The deadline for submission is March 11th, 2020 5:00PM EST. The grant of $5,000 includes the recipients roundtrip airfare, cost to travel to the meeting, transportation to and from, food and hotel stay expenses at the AHNS Annual/International Meetings. At the AHNS Annual/International Meeting the student will share their Summer experience via PowerPoint presentation and can network with AHNS members.
Apply Here
Why Black Doctors Like Me Are Leaving The Field: A perspective and opinion article reviewing the Department of Health and Human Services' goal “to achieve health equity, eliminate disparities, and improve the health of all groups” for Healthy People 2020. This article dives into the state of the health care workforce and how the lack of diversity is pushing Black doctors to leave academic medicine.
Dear White Boss: A article written as a fictional letter from a black manager to a white boss. The article is meant to portray the unique challenges minorities face in the corporate life — "the feeling that they leave some part of their identity at home and the sometimes subtle and often systemic racial biases" they face.
How well does the MCAT exam predict success in medical school? An article reviewing the insights and results found by a team of researchers who have been exploring whether the updated MCAT test can accurately predict success in medical school. The article further dives into how well-underrepresented groups fared on the exam and whether the updated MCAT is unfair to certain groups.
Toward Cultural Competency in Health Care - Academic Medicine: An article that explores best practices for increasing cultural competency and reducing health disparities.
|
