The April showers continue. . .
Recruitment
Our forty-person delegation trip to the Annual Medical Education Conference 2024 last month was a phenomenal success. We had the privilege of interacting with thousands of URiM medical students and showing them who we are at Yale, what we value, and what we aspire to. Our Yale trainees across various programs and departments did an excellent job showcasing our inclusive climate and outstanding training opportunities. In partnership with the Deputy Dean and Chief Diversity Officer for Yale School of Medicine (YSM), Darin Latimore, MD, we held a successful mixer for medical students. In addition, the Yale delegation had a celebratory dinner in honor of Doctors Day on March 28; we celebrated and thanked our trainees for the excellent care they deliver to our patients and their contribution to our learning climate at Yale.
Next on our recruitment agenda and map is the National Medical Association (NMA) Conference in New York from August 4 - 7. The NMA is a professional organization for Black or African American physicians. Our focus will be on faculty opportunities and open positions across all our clinical departments. We will also showcase graduate and undergraduate medical education training opportunities at Yale. At the NMA conference, Dean Nancy J. Brown, MD, will hold a Black Yale Alumni reception. Our exhibition at the NMA conference is a partnership 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 is still open. Thanks to all who have completed the survey. If you have not yet completed the survey, please do so via this secure and confidential link hosted by The Barthwell Group (a management consulting firm administering the survey). We must hear from everyone on issues related to inclusivity within our department. The Barthwell Group (wevans@barthwellgroup.com) will continue to send weekly reminders; please check your junk mail if you do not see them in your inbox. We will be transparent and share the results by July 2024.
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 will send out a survey to section chiefs seeking input on FDAQ-related mentoring within sections.
ODEIM Tools
On March 25, Aba Black, MD, MHS, and I presented our DEI Productivity Calculator at the Association of American Medical Colleges Group on Diversity and Inclusion National Professional Development Conference in Philadelphia. Our project garnered much interest from DEI champions and leaders from various academic medical centers. We recruited many people for our study to calibrate the DEI activity impact score generated by the DEI Productivity Calculator. As our study continues, we will generate DEI-related activity metrics and benchmarks to enhance the promotion evaluation processes at academic centers nationwide. We are excited about this and hope to obtain buy-in from the Association of American Medical Colleges and DEI leaders at academic medical centers nationwide. At YSM, I will present a faculty development workshop titled Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Activities and the Academic Review Process. This is a part of the YSM Office of Academic & Professional Development seminar series.
Upcoming Talks
Don’t miss our following Equity Begins with Everyone (EBE) gathering on Monday, April 15 at noon in Fitkin Auditorium and on Zoom. This time, we will have a guest speaker, Alejandra Olvia, a genetic counselor at Yale, who will talk about “Beyond the Binary: Current Recommendations for Gender Inclusive Practices in Medicine." We will continue our theme of sourcing food from different parts of the world.
Below are the secular and religious events during April:
- World Autism Awareness Day is commemorated on April 2.
- Muslims observe their holiest night of the year on April 6 with Laylat al-Qadr.
- Ramadan, a holy month for those who practice Islam, ends on April 9 with a three-celebration called Eid al-Fitr.
- Observers of the Jewish faith celebrate Passover from April 22 to April 30.
- April 22 also marks the 54th celebration of Earth Day.
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, rise, and shine.
Respectfully Yours,
Benjamin
Benjamin Mba, MBBS, MRCP (UK), CHCQM, FACP
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.
Pronouns: He/Him/His