Dr. Darin A. Latimore has been appointed deputy dean for diversity and inclusion at Yale School of Medicine (YSM).
In his new post, which he will assume in January, Latimore will function as the School of Medicine’s inaugural chief diversity officer, wrote Dr. Robert Alpern, YSM dean and the Ensign Professor of Medicine, in a letter to the medical community.
“The School of Medicine is strongly committed to promoting racial, gender, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity among our students, faculty, and staff, and promulgating a culture in which all members of our community feel respected and included,” said Alpern. “There are already a number of initiatives underway to improve diversity and promote inclusion at our institution. The appointment of a chief diversity officer further underscores our dedication to ensuring that our environment supports diversity in meaningful ways.
Working closely with YSM senior leadership, Latimore will be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive plan for furthering diversity, equity, and inclusion at the school, including a robust recruitment, development, and retention program for faculty, students, and staff. He will coordinate with such groups as the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Minority Organization for Retention and Expansion, the Committee on the Status of Women in Medicine, the Committee on Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice, and the Dean’s Advisory Council on LGBTQ Affairs.
Latimore is currently associate dean for student and resident diversity at the University of California-Davis School of Medicine, where he is oversees medical student and resident diversity programs. He has developed initiatives to increase the pipeline of socio-economically disadvantaged students, residents, and faculty and has spearheaded programs to support and empower underrepresented students who are interested in attending medical school.
“His passion for promoting diversity and inclusion stems from his own background,” said Alpern. “As an undergraduate at University of California-Berkeley, he felt isolated on a campus where there were few African-Americans and even fewer students from his socioeconomic background.” After obtaining his medical degree at UC Davis School of Medicine and completing his residency in internal medicine at UC Davis Medical Center, he worked as a physician specializing in HIV care with The Permanente Medical Group in South Sacramento, California, where he also trained medical students and residents. His transition to academic medicine began with his appointment as associate program director for the UC Davis internal medicine residency program.
“Many of the students and residents with whom he worked shared his experiences of isolation and discrimination, prompting him to write a job description that led to his inaugural position as director of medical student diversity at UC Davis in 2008,” noted Alpern.
At UC Davis, Latimore helped expand the definition of diversity beyond African-American, Hispanic, and Native American individuals to include underrepresented Asian-American groups and individuals who are economically disadvantaged. Today, approximately 43% of UC Davis medical students fall into one of these categories. He has served as chair or an active member on numerous committees, task forces, and local, state and national working groups dedicated to diversity, equal opportunity, and medical education. He also maintains a clinical practice caring for patients with HIV/AIDS at the Center of AIDS Research, Education, and Services.
Alpern also thanked the members of the search committee who helped to recruit “such an outstanding candidate. The committee members were Richard Bribiescas, Linda Bockenstedt, Daniel Colon-Ramos, Cindy Crusto, Gary Desir, Carolyn Mazure, Kevin Myatt, Carolyn Slayman, Joann Sweasy, and Lisa Walke.