The Office of Diversity Programs is committed to cultural competence in post-graduate medical education and training. Through the recruitment of trainees with different experiences, knowledge, backgrounds and perspectives, we enhance the educational experience for our academic workforce as a whole. In addition to helping trainees develop the skills needed to provide culturally sensitive care to a diverse patient population, the ODP supports under represented residents and fellows through community engagement, mentorship, professional networking and development.
Washington University Minority Medical Association (WUMMA)
The Washington University Minority Medical Association (WUMMA) was established in April 2006, with an initial grant from the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation. Its mission is to assist in the recruitment of underrepresented minority residents and fellows and to support the professional development of its members.
Residents and Fellows Diversity Initiative (RFDI)
Shortly after its inception, the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Residents and Fellows Diversity Initiative (RFDI) was created, and has since expanded to include St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Administered by the Center for Diversity and Cultural Competence at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, the program provides additional financial support to residents who demonstrate a commitment to improving cultural diversity within the medical center and improving the health of the medically underserved in the St. Louis community.
Within a year after the new programs were created, record numbers of underrepresented minority residents comprised 24 percent of the university residents who matched at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, a new record.
OUTmed
OUTmed is an organization for LGBTQ+-identified faculty, residents, fellows and staff at Washington University School of Medicine. OUTmed is supported by the Department of Medicine, and is open to members of the entire School of Medicine, regardless of departmental affiliation.
Our goals include:
- Increasing visibility of the LGBTQ+ community at Washington University School of Medicine
- Fostering networking and mentoring relationships for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, residents and staff
- Facilitating communication among members of the Washington University School of Medicine interested in LGBTQ+-related health care and research topics
Visit the OUTmed website to find out more about programming and activities.
A nurturing academic environment
Members of WUMMA and the RFDI work collaboratively to establish a nurturing academic environment through networking and support programs, provide mentoring to support the professional development of minority and disadvantaged youth aspiring to become physicians, and are directly involved in service to the surrounding community, such as volunteering at the Gateway Homeless Shelter or any of the local free medical clinics.
These initiatives, which document the effectiveness of longitudinal mentoring and networking, illustrate that measurable outcomes can be achieved when there is concordance on the need for workforce diversity.