Diversity is a burgeoning aspect of medical training that is rapidly evolving to become a large focus of modern medicine. As our patient population diversifies, we are keeping pace with efforts to promote an engaging, culturally competent learning environment that fosters growth and ensures the best care for our patients. Birmingham is a rich and diverse community that has historically been the epicenter of the movement towards equality. The city is expanding not only its size, but also its wide spectrum of patients. Our program is working to making UAB a similar vanguard of not only excellent medical care and top-notch training, but also a community of diverse backgrounds, whether racial, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic status, gender, or sexual orientation. By recognizing our patients’ various needs, which are each rooted in their own customs, and applying a learned cultural competency to our practice of medicine, we strive to lessen the burden of disease and promote a healthier community. To foster our growth in this capacity, the UAB Department of Medicine has established the Diversity Enrichment Committee to help bridge the gap between healthcare disparities.
Diversity Enrichment Committee Back Row: Gregory Payne, Bruno Pereira, Jill Neely, Karla Williams, Daniel Ontenient, Danisa Clarrett, Latesha Elopre
Front Row: KeAndrea Titer, Sebastian Sattui, Anezi Uzendu, Lizbeth Brice
With the aforementioned goal in mind, the Diversity Enrichment Committee has set out to promote a culture of inclusiveness in the residency program. Aiming to provide a vision for the youths of our community, residents have reached out to local inner-city schools and attended career fairs to promote careers in medicine amongst underrepresented groups. Through partnership with the local Student National Medical Association (SNMA) Chapter and presence at conferences for the SNMA and Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA), the program has taken tremendous strides to recruit, develop, and retain physicians of diverse backgrounds. Thanks to the philanthropic efforts of Dr. Carl Dukes, the first African-American to serve as Chief Resident of the Tinsley Harrison Internal Medicine Residency Program, the UAB School of Medicine has established the Minority Residency Pipeline Endowed Support Fund to advance efforts for minority recruitment.
Over the past few years, we have made great strides to promote diversity within our program, department, and medical center. We are very proud of the work accomplished, and we aspire to continue promoting diversity that will positively impact patient care and medical training.