The May blooms continue. . .
Recruitment
Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and Yale New Haven Hospital (YNHH) had an outstanding residency match result. Across three of the residency programs within the Department of Medicine (Traditional Medicine, Primary Care, and Medicine-Pediatrics), our incoming intern class will comprise at least 34% URiM individuals. Across all the YSM and YNHH programs, our incoming intern class will comprise at least 28% URiM individuals.
The YSM and YNHH GME Office, in collaboration with the Minority Housestaff Organization, is organizing our first YSM and YNHH virtual tristate recruitment fair on May 23. This event is a crucial platform for us to connect with potential candidates and further our diversity and inclusion efforts.
Another significant event on our recruitment agenda is the National Medical Association (NMA) Conference in New York from August 4 - 7. The NMA, a professional organization for Black or African American physicians, is a platform we actively support. Our focus at the conference will be on faculty opportunities and open positions across all our clinical departments. We will also highlight Yale's graduate and undergraduate medical education training opportunities. Notably, Dean Nancy J. Brown, MD, will host a Black Yale Alumni reception. Our participation at the NMA conference is a collaborative effort between the YSM Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Internal Medicine (ODEIM), and the YSM and Yale New Haven Hospital Graduate Medical Education DEI Office.
Retention
Our Department of Medicine Inclusion Climate Survey, a crucial tool for understanding and improving our department's inclusivity, has closed. We are grateful to all who took the time to complete it, as your feedback is invaluable. The department had a 41% participation and a 40% completion rate, reflecting the importance our community places on this issue. The survey was for staff, faculty, and postdocs within the department, and we look forward to sharing the results by July 2024.
On May 3, Shaili Gupta, MBBS, and I delivered an interactive session as part of the Yale Medical Educator Series (YES). The session was titled Be an Upstander. During the session, we discussed barriers to upstander responses by faculty and strategies to raise our professional voices for ourselves and to empower others in support of an inclusive climate at YSM.
I had the honor of being a guest on Dr. Doug McKinley's Leadership Currency podcast, where we discussed successful diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives in academic institutions. I am grateful for the opportunity to share our department's efforts in this area. Please follow the link to listen to our conversation.
I was also honored to be a guest on the Becker's Healthcare Podcast hosted by Laura Dyrda, vice president and editor-in-chief of Becker's Healthcare. During the podcast, we discussed challenges faced by URiM faculty in academic medicine nationwide and strategies to promote the recruitment, retention, and advancement of URiM faculty. You can listen to the podcast via this link.
During the YSM Medical Education Day on June 6, Beverly Sheares, MD, MS, and I will hold a workshop titled Practical Strategies for Incorporating Anti-Racism into Your Educational Practice. The audience will include medical education faculty, professionals, and students.
The Department of Medicine Mentorship and Sponsorship retreat is set for Wednesday, June 12. The audience will be senior faculty and section chiefs. We hope to enhance and standardize the faculty mentorship experience, which incorporates the FDAQ process, and cultivate a culture of career sponsorship within the department. To inform the conversation at the retreat, we have sent a survey to section chiefs seeking input on FDAQ-related mentoring within sections.
ODEIM Tools
On May 8, I presented a faculty development workshop titled Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Activities and the Academic Review Process. This was a part of the YSM Office of Academic & Professional Development seminar series. I spoke about challenges faced by URiM faculty in academic medical centers. I proposed a tool (our DEI productivity calculator) to capture, calibrate, and integrate DEI-related efforts by faculty into the promotion evaluation process at YSM.
I have been invited to give a grand round presentation on the same topic for the Department of Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Upcoming Talks
Don’t miss our next Equity Begins with Everyone (EBE) gathering on Monday, May 20 at noon in Fitkin Auditorium and on Zoom. Carli Gaughf, associate director, DEI Training at YSM, will lead a session on how to be an upstander. Everyone is encouraged to attend in person to participate in this interactive experience. We will continue our theme of sourcing food from different parts of the world.
Below are the secular and religious events during May:
- May marks Mental Health Awareness Month along with National Military Appreciation Month.
- Other observances in May include:
- May 4: National Day of Prayer
- May 17: International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia
- May 19: Malcolm X’s Birthday
- May 26: Buddha’s Birthday
If you haven’t participated in our monthly column, “Voices of DEI,” please consider doing so. These columns are featured on the Internal Medicine website and social media channels. If you wish to be a featured voice of DEI, please complete the survey using this link.
I am committed to supporting and expanding DEI efforts within the Department of Internal Medicine; please join me. Equity begins with everyone. Together, we strive. Together, we rise. Together, we shine.
Respectfully Yours,
Benjamin
Benjamin Mba, MBBS, MRCP (UK), CHCQM, FACP
Professor of Medicine
Vice Chair, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the Department of Internal Medicine
Graduate Medical Education Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Associate Designated Institutional Official for Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale School of Medicine