TY - JOUR
T1 - The development of a diversity, equity, and inclusion committee in a neurology department and residency program
AU - Harpe, Jasmin M.
AU - Safdieh, Joseph E.
AU - Broner, Susan
AU - Strong, Greta
AU - Robbins, Matthew S.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to recognize the efforts of the full Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Department of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine at the time of submission: Moises Dominguez, MD, Matthew Fink, MD, Gail Forde, Margaret Huynh, MD, Steven Karceski, MD, Louise Klebanoff, MD, Rachna Malani, MD, Belinda Marquis, MD, Jonelle McDougall-Howard, Lynda Nwabuobi, MD, Jai Perumal, MD, Janice Void, and Ebony Ali Williams.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2021/9/15
Y1 - 2021/9/15
N2 - Background: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have been described in different academic and graduate medical education settings, but not specifically in neurology. Objective: To describe the development of a DEI committee within a neurology department and training program. Methods: The need to prioritize DEI as a critical focus within our neurology department led to the appointment of an initial task force who identified strategic priorities and stakeholders to establish a committee. DEI committee members included faculty, trainees, and staff, and this phase of the initiative took place from May 2019 through January 2021. Results: The DEI committee was established and has met monthly for over one year. Initial meetings formulated goals of the initiative. Specific objectives were developed in the domains of recruitment, education, engagement, training, conflict resolution, and recognition. Early outcomes included augmented resident recruitment efforts of UiM students, curriculum changes including frequent representation of DEI topics in Grand Rounds, and measures to reduce unconscious bias. Conclusions: The creation of a DEI Committee within a specialty department such as neurology is feasible and can result in immediate and long-term actions related to recruitment and education in particular. Our blueprint that heavily involves graduate medical education stakeholders may be generalizable to other specialty departments in academic medicine.
AB - Background: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have been described in different academic and graduate medical education settings, but not specifically in neurology. Objective: To describe the development of a DEI committee within a neurology department and training program. Methods: The need to prioritize DEI as a critical focus within our neurology department led to the appointment of an initial task force who identified strategic priorities and stakeholders to establish a committee. DEI committee members included faculty, trainees, and staff, and this phase of the initiative took place from May 2019 through January 2021. Results: The DEI committee was established and has met monthly for over one year. Initial meetings formulated goals of the initiative. Specific objectives were developed in the domains of recruitment, education, engagement, training, conflict resolution, and recognition. Early outcomes included augmented resident recruitment efforts of UiM students, curriculum changes including frequent representation of DEI topics in Grand Rounds, and measures to reduce unconscious bias. Conclusions: The creation of a DEI Committee within a specialty department such as neurology is feasible and can result in immediate and long-term actions related to recruitment and education in particular. Our blueprint that heavily involves graduate medical education stakeholders may be generalizable to other specialty departments in academic medicine.
KW - Diversity
KW - Education
KW - Equity
KW - Inclusion
KW - Neurology
KW - Trainees
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85109724722&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jns.2021.117572
DO - 10.1016/j.jns.2021.117572
M3 - Article
C2 - 34265575
AN - SCOPUS:85109724722
SN - 0022-510X
VL - 428
JO - Journal of the Neurological Sciences
JF - Journal of the Neurological Sciences
M1 - 117572
ER -