Advancing Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Medicine:
Call to action from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC)
AAMC, 2024
“The AAMC works to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) principles across the continuum of medical education. As part of this effort, the AAMC Framework for Addressing and Eliminating Racism at the AAMC, in Academic Medicine, and Beyond identifies several pillars to guide the actions of individuals, organizations, and communities. The tools, data, and publications listed below offer a view of the current DEI work in medical education being led by the AAMC and are organized according to this anti-racism framework.”
View this AAMC website to learn more.
“Beyond medical education, the AAMC is committed to DEI across all its services, programs, and projects. A complete list of the AAMC’s DEI initiatives, including those focused on fostering anti-racism in practice, can be found on the Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Initiatives webpage.”
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The Center for Pre-Health Advising joins AAMC and all other other health program/professional organizations, such as the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), American Academy of PAs (AAPA), American Dental Association (ADA), and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), in calling for sustained and strategic advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion in healthcare.
Pre-Health & Pre-Law call for solidarity, support, and campus action
May 2023
By now, you’ve likely heard about a circulating social media video of an extremely racist rant by an individual in our community. Much attention has been given to what actions can or cannot be taken against the individuals who said and encouraged these terrible things. This is necessary, and people need to be held accountable for their words and actions. Right now, it’s important that we turn our care and attention to those who continue to be most impacted by racism, to those who have been hurt by this video, and to what people can do to be allies in response to hate.
To the students and staff of color on this campus, we are incensed that these incidents continue to happen. In Pre-Professional Advising, which includes the Centers for Pre-Health & Pre-Law Advising, we will continue our mission to help increase diversity and equity in the fields of law and health. This work includes recognizing and working to disrupt the racism that negatively impacts the lives and learning of our advisees. As community members and advisors, we are here to listen to our colleagues and students. We will support you in finding whatever support may be needed to deal with very real anger and fear. In addition, we call on campus administration, faculty, instructional staff, supervisors, and all other colleagues to recognize through action and policy changes the disproportionate impacts of this week’s events (e.g. flexibility during finals, support to attend community gatherings, grading deadline shifts).
We want to also specifically highlight the efforts and energy of student leaders, such as within the Blk Pwr Coalition and Black Student Union, who are working hard – uncompensated – to push for needed changes and action. We will be listening and lifting up their voices within our areas of influence.
To those of us who do not know how to respond in the face of such blatant racism, now is the time to learn. When someone posts something biased, or says something racist, there are various ways to take action. The American Psychological Association notes these five steps in responding to an incident:
- Distract: Indirectly diffuse the situation by interrupting the harasser and the target (e.g. commotion, small talk, etc.).
- Delegate: Ask a third party for assistance in intervening, preferably an individual in a position of authority.
- Document: If it is safe to do so and someone is already helping the target, write notes or take a video of the discriminatory situation (permission to share the situation belongs to the target).
- Delay: Check in with the person who was discriminated against/harassed (e.g. support, offer assistance, etc.).
- Direct: If everyone is physically safe, speak firmly and clearly against the harassment/discrimination taking place (prioritize assisting the target over debating the harasser).
As a community, we must take responsibility for improving the campus environment. We can’t stay silent and watch incidents occur, hoping that they’ll work themselves out. We’ll need to commit to learning, growing, and intervening.
“Without systemic and structural-level change, health inequities will continue to exist, and the overall health of the nation will suffer,” Willarda V. Edwards, MD, MBA, American Medical Association Board of Trustees.
In Pre-Professional Advising, we understand that racism within the fields of health and law permeates every aspect of our lives. Anti-racist action and appropriate bystander intervention will be an important part of your career and professional development in the fields of health and law.
In solidarity and support,
Pre-Professional Advising, Centers for Pre-Health & Pre-Law Advising
Call to Action: fighting racism is a public health imperative
June 2020
Injustices and violence founded upon white supremacy and fueled by racism continue to be enacted across the country. These injustices highlight the shaky ground of racism and genocide on which our nation was founded. We understand that there is nothing we can say to assuage the pain that has been caused to so many, most specifically by white individuals through personal acts as well as systemic, structural racism. We want to be clear that at CPHA we remain committed to working towards justice and fighting racism within our realms of influence, including within ourselves as an advising team.
We know that many of you join us, and we call on many more to come along with us in taking personal action towards fighting racism. This very much includes listening and learning. We also know that many of you have been in this fight for your entire lives.
To be clear, this is a call to action because fighting racism is a public health imperative!
Racism is a health issue and fighting racism – in ourselves and in our communities – will require anti-racist health professionals. Black individuals die in disproportionate numbers in the hands of law enforcement. Black, Latinx, and Indigenous People of Color become ill and die from COVID-19 at disproportionate rates. Communities of color face conscious and unconscious racism from a predominantly white system of health professionals, which leads to poorer health outcomes compared to white individuals. These are health issues, and they are fueled by inequities founded upon racism. Health professionals have the privilege and responsibility to change our US healthcare systems. We must work alongside and in support of community members and health professionals of color in Madison who are leading the charge towards health equity!
BLACK LIVES MATTER. It is not just a slogan. It is a call to action. We stand in solidarity with all those rallying in so many ways to end police brutality and other dehumanizing forms of racism in our communities. We stand for Jacob Blake, George Floyd, David McAtee, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, Atatiana Jefferson, Breonna Taylor, Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Walter Scott, Botham Jean, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, Michael Brown, Laquan McDonald, Tony Robinson, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and so many others. We stand for all of YOU who face racism and bigotry during your experiences as a UW-Madison student and beyond.
Words cannot replace action. Those of us who are white need to do more than talk, think, and feel deep sadness over the loss of Black and Brown lives. We need to educate ourselves on the explicit and implicit racisms we enact every day. We need to advocate with and alongside people of color and work for sustainable change. Each of us can do something, and we all need to do more. Do it for the sake of justice and our common humanity. Do it because you would want someone to do it for you. Do it out of love. Do it because it is the right thing to do.
We are here to help support you! Here are some additional resources to keep in mind as you navigate this time and beyond:
HOW TO PROTEST SAFELY DURING A PANDEMIC
Know your Rights – ACLU Guide to Protester’s Rights
Support Black-Owned Businesses
Anti-Racism Resources
75 Things White People Can Do To Be Anti-Racist
10 Things White People Can Do To Be Anti-Racist
Anti-Racist Resource Guide
Anti-Racism and Mental Health Resources
Ways to Help
Stream to Donate (don’t skip ads)
BLM Resources
Foundation for Black Women’s Wellness (local!)
Rebalanced-Life Wellness Association – Supporting Black Men’s Health (local!)
Campus Mental Health Resources
Campus Wellness Resources
In solidarity,
The Center for Pre-Health Advising
www.prehealth.wisc.edu
Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is about jobs and employment, education, the environment, and all of those things that go into making us healthy.
– Dr. Joycelyn Elders, Former US surgeon general