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    CFAS Diversity & Inclusion Toolkit

    These resources are meant to aid diverse academic medicine professionals in their career development and raise awareness of the issues of diversity in academic medicine.

    Our Mission

    The CFAS Diversity and Inclusion Committee, under the leadership of Monica Baskin, PhD, will elevate awareness of the importance of diversity among administrative board members and the leadership of CFAS, as well as seek to develop mechanisms to promote and empower diversity and inclusiveness in all CFAS activities. Since we collaborate closely with the Group on Diversity and Inclusion (GDI) and the Group on Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS), this mission statement reflects those of our partners. We define diversity broadly to include all aspects of human differences including but not limited to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, geography (including rural and highly rural areas), disability, and age. This committee will continue to collaborate with the Group on Diversity and Inclusion (GDI) and other relevant AAMC groups to facilitate and promote the development of innovative methods of education, research, policy, and clinical practice that focus on issues of diversity, inclusion, and respectful interactions.

    Tell us how your institution is advancing faculty diversity

    AAMC Resources

    DICE Inventory
    The Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity (DICE) Inventory aims to help institutions conduct a comprehensive review of institutional policies, practices, procedures, and programs that impact the climate and culture around diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Inventory is supported by a user guide which includes case studies. The Inventory itself is comprised of an Excel document containing six color-coded survey sections containing 89 questions focusing on creating a more inclusive campus community that values and supports diversity. The survey sections are:

    • Governance, Leadership, and Mission
    • Institutional Planning and Policies
    • Communications and Engagement
    • Data and Assessment
    • Faculty and Staff
    • Students

    Women Faculty of Color Toolkits
    The Women Faculty of Color Toolkits are presentations designed to provide practical information on issues, practices, and data that impact women faculty of color. Presentations provide an overview of the topic, relevant best practices, tips on implementation, and useful references for more information. We encourage you to share these resources with interested colleagues at your organization.

    IDEAS Webinar Recordings
    A monthly webinar series that brings in experts from across academic medicine to help you:

    •     Foster inclusive environments.
    •     Create equitable advancement, promotion, and tenure policies.
    •     Promote anti-racist policies, education, and institutional practices.

    The IDEAS Learning Series channels experts and resources from within the AAMC and across academic medicine into webinars designed to help busy professionals cut through the noise and find ways to take action on relevant initiatives.

    Group on Diversity and Inclusion's (GDI) Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Planning Toolkit
    This guide provides nine essential tasks to help navigate the diversity and inclusion strategic planning process. 

    Group on Diversity and Inclusion's (GDI) New Diversity and Inclusion Officer Toolkit (2015)
    Survey findings revealed that the majority of respondents (69%) were in their first diversity position and 53% had been in that position for three years or less. Critically, 85% stated that they had no professional mentor for their diversity and inclusion role. In presenting these results to the GDI Business Meeting in 2016, there was a strong call from members for resources to help new leaders better understand their roles in their institutions, while identifying ways of building skills to be more effective in their work. The GDI Steering Committee committed to creating a guide that would serve this purpose.

    Best Practices and Examples

    Cultivating Anti-Racism Allies in Academic Medicine. Health Equity (2023)
    Racial microaggressions, racially based remarks, or actions that negatively impact marginalized physicians of color (Black, Latino/a/x, and American Indian/Alaskan Natives) often go unaddressed. This article provides four strategies for how individuals and institutions can engage in anti-racism allyship: (1) be an upstander during microaggressions, (2) be a sponsor and advocate for physicians of color, (3) acknowledge academic titles and accomplishments, and (4) challenge the idea of a "standard fit" for academic faculty and research.

    Perspectives on Anti-Black Racism and Mitigation Strategies Among Faculty Experts at Academic Medical Centers. JAMA Netw Open (2022)
    The findings of this study affirm prior work about the unique challenges faced by Black faculty and trainees in academic medicine because of interpersonal and institutional racism and build on this prior work by soliciting recommendations to guide intervention development. An intervention to dismantle anti-Black racism within academic medicine is urgently needed and will require leadership buy-in and financial commitments from institutions for effective development and implementation.

    The Risk and Reward of Speaking Out for Racial Equity in Surgical Training. J Surg Educ (2021)
    In order to maintain productivity and career advancement, Black and Brown individuals often find themselves downplaying persistent elements of bias and racism experienced in predominantly white fields. These elements are commonly reinforced by institutional and departmental policies that hinder the creation of an equitable and inclusive environment for all. In this manuscript, we outline specific challenges faced by Black and Brown trainees and faculty that are perpetuated by such policies. The challenges are followed by specific recommendations for change as they may apply to faculty, staff and trainees. The outlined recommendations or "action items" may be enacted by any residency program or department based on perceived timeliness and should serve as a foundation for change-one that is intently created through a lens of anti-racism. 

    Anti-Black racism in academia and what you can do about it. Nat Rev Mater (2021)
    The experiences of Black scientists and engineers reveal that science is not a meritocracy. Here is a list of recommendations to combat anti-Black racism in academic institutions.

    Six ways to get a grip by calling-out racism and enacting allyship in medical education. Can Med Educ (2021)
    Actively addressing racism in our faculties of medicine is needed now, more than ever. One way to do this is through allyship, the practice of unlearning and re-evaluating, in which a person in a position of privilege and power seeks to operate in solidarity with a traditionally marginalized group. In this paper, we provide practical tips on how to practice allyship, giving educators and leaders background understanding and important tools on how to actively promote equity and diversity. We also share tips on how to promote inclusivity to more accurately reflect the communities we serve.

    Resources for Academic Societies

    Embracing Allyship in Academic Surgery: How All Surgeons Can Become Effective Champions for Change. J Am Coll Surg (2022)
    This article invites all surgeons to aid in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as "allies," "upstanders," and "champions for change," and provides 2 specific frameworks for enacting allyship within the surgical field.

    Understanding and Addressing Disparities and Discrimination in Education and in the Physician Workforce: A Position Paper of the American College of Physicians (2021)
    Racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States experience disparities in their health and health care that arise from a combination of interacting factors, including racism and discrimination, social drivers of health, health care access and quality, individual behavior, and biology. To ameliorate these disparities, the American College of Physicians (ACP) proposes a comprehensive policy framework that recognizes and confronts the many elements of U.S. society, some of which are intertwined and compounding, that contribute to poorer health outcomes. In addition to this framework, which includes high-level principles and discusses how disparities are interconnected, ACP offers specific policy recommendations on disparities and discrimination in education and the workforce, those affecting specific populations, and those in criminal justice practices and policies in its 3 companion policy papers. ACP believes that a cross-cutting approach that identifies and offers solutions to the various aspects of society contributing to poor health is essential to achieving its goal of good health care for all, poor health care for none.

    Faculty Development

    Teaching the Teachers: Development and Evaluation of a Racial Health Equity Curriculum for Faculty. MedEdPORTAL (2023)
    We developed a curriculum for faculty education on racism and actions to advance racial health equity. METHODS: The curriculum design was based on a literature review and needs assessments. Implementation consisted of four live virtual 1-hour sessions incorporating interactive didactics, cases, reflection, goal setting, and discussion offered to a multidisciplinary group of pediatric faculty at a children's hospital. Topics included the history of racism, racism in health care, interacting with trainees and colleagues, and racial equity in policy. Evaluation consisted of pre- and postsurveys at the beginning and end of the curriculum and a survey after each session. RESULTS: A mean of 78 faculty members attended each session (range: 66-94). Participants reported high satisfaction and increased knowledge at the end of each session. Qualitative themes included self-reflection on personal biases, application of health equity frameworks and tools, becoming disruptors of racism, and the importance of systemic change and policy. DISCUSSION: This curriculum is an effective method for increasing faculty knowledge and comfort. The materials can be adapted for various audiences.

    Making allyship visible: evaluation of a faculty development DEI curriculum. Med Educ Online (2023)
    To better support our students, we used Kern's model for curriculum development and a critical pedagogy approach to create a Faculty Allyship Curriculum (FAC). A total of 790 individuals attended 90 workshops across 16 months and 20 individuals have completed the FAC. A majority of participants reported they felt at least moderately confident in their ability to teach learners who are underrepresented in medicine, mentor learners who are different than they are, and teach allyship topics. An informal content analysis of open-ended responses indicated changes in awareness, attitude, insight, and use of language and being more likely to display advocacy. For others considering creating a similar program, partnering with an existing program allows for rapid implementation and reach to a wide audience. We also recommend: beginning with a coalition of willing learners to quickly build community and culture change; ensuring that the curriculum supports ongoing personal commitment and change for the learners; and supporting facilitators in modeling imperfection and upstanding, 'calling in' rather than 'calling out' learners.

    Allies Welcomed to Advance Racial Equity (AWARE) Faculty Seminar Series: Program Design and Implementation. J Med Educ Curric Dev (2021)
    We developed a 6-session seminar series, identifying 5 White faculty as lecturers and a cadre of Black and White volunteer facilitators, to lead 60-minute sessions comprised of lecture, facilitated small group reflection, and large group sharing, that reviewed key topics/texts on structural racism, Whiteness, and Anti-racism. Attendance ranged from 26 to 37 participants at each session. About 80% of faculty participated in at least 1 session of the program. The majority of participants (85%) felt "more empowered to influence their current environment to be more inclusive of others" and were "better equipped to advocate for themselves or others." Most (81%) felt "more connected to their colleagues following completion of the program." Ultimately, faculty thought highly of the program upon completion with 26/27 (96%) stating they would recommend the program to a colleague. We offer a reproducible model to improve departmental climate by engaging in the shared labor of educating our colleagues and communities about structural racism, Whiteness, and Anti-racism to create a point of entry into reflection, dialogue, and deliberate actions for change.

    How Medical Educators Can Foster Equity and Inclusion in Their Teaching: A Faculty Development Workshop Series. Acad Med (2020)
    To advance the goal of fostering an equitable educational environment, the authors envisioned a series of faculty development workshops to cultivate faculty skills and comfort with incorporating equity and inclusion in their teaching, assessment, and curriculum development work. The authors conducted a needs assessment and followed Kern's 6-step process for curriculum development to build the workshop series. OUTCOMES: Using local resources and expertise, the authors built a workshop series that culminated in a certificate in Teaching for Equity and Inclusion. The development process took 24 months; 22 faculty volunteered to design and teach 7 new workshops. Initial workshop offerings have reached 101 participants, and 120 faculty members have enrolled in the certificate. The workshops have been well received and are rated on par with or more highly than other faculty development offerings at the University of California, San Francisco. NEXT STEPS: Future directions include assessing the impact of the certificate on participants and workshop faculty, creating opportunities for workshop faculty to share best practices, and exploring alternative models for participation. The authors' experience demonstrates the feasibility of creating a self-sustaining program that will advance faculty competence in the critical areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

    Department-Level Initiatives

    Grassroots Approach to Forming a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee in an Academic Radiology Department. RadioGraphics (2023)
    Radiology is among the medical specialties that have made the fewest gains in closing the gap in underrepresented minorities and women. DEI committees can self-organize or form from institutional directives. These committees can implement impactful projects in multiple domains in education, recruitment and retention, department culture, and health equity research. This article describes the formation of a grassroots DEI committee, key initiatives and strategies, and structures for accountability.

    Challenges and Solutions for Establishing Robust Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts in US Academic Radiation Oncology Departments. Adv Radiat Oncol (2023)
    "Departmental DEI leadership roles often combine responsibilities for improving workforce diversity, promoting health equity among the patient population treated, and creating a culture of inclusion, belonging, and wellness within the department—all important, but unique topics. With limitations in human capacity, 1 leader is incapable of adequately addressing each of these areas. For instance, although there are known benefits of workforce diversity for patient outcomes among vulnerable and underrepresented populations, focusing heavily in this area limits capacity to address the social determinants of health and systemic racism that lead to detrimental health outcomes among racial and ethnic minority, low socioeconomic status, and underinsured patients in the first place. Appropriate resources, including dedicated time, financial compensation, and administrative support, should be allocated to each of these endeavors, and the responsibilities for leadership should be shared among multiple people with expertise and passion for their success and supported by departmental and organizational leadership."

    A Path Toward Equity and Inclusion: Establishing a DEI Committee in a Department of Pediatrics. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings (2023)
    The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee was established in 2017 within the Department of Pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center (RUMC). This paper outlines the initial creation and ongoing efforts of the DEI committee. Information related to the structure of our committee, aims of our work, progress toward identified goals, as well as ongoing barriers is provided.

    Leadership roles and initiatives for diversity and inclusion in academic anesthesiology departments. J Natl Med Assoc (2022)
    This study's objective was to assess the frequency of established leadership infrastructures and initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion within academic anesthesiology departments. Based on these survey results, many anesthesia departments have developed initiatives to promote their departmental diversity. However, only a minority have established clearly defined leadership roles, which may be critical to enhance departmental success in promoting diversity and inclusion.

    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee: An Instrument to Champion Diversity Efforts Within a Large Academic Psychiatry Department. Psychiatr Serv (2022)
    A solid understanding of DEI contributes to a better grasp of what drives health care disparities and yields improved clinical outcomes for minority populations. This column discusses how individuals can practically promote DEI by describing the design and implementation of DEI in an academic psychiatry department. The authors highlight the powerful role of departmental initiatives in establishing best practices for DEI and lessons learned through the work of the psychiatry department's DEI committee.

    The development of a diversity, equity, and inclusion committee in a neurology department and residency program. J Neurol Sci (2021)
    The DEI committee was established and has met monthly for over one year. 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. 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.

    Integrating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Into an Academic Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ) (2021)
    This article highlights one department's efforts to bolster diversity, equity, and inclusion as an exemplar for other academic departments. It offers an approach for building an infrastructure and leadership group and details accomplishments associated with strategic plan priorities related to visibility, values, stakeholder education, recruitment, retention, promotion, and community engagement. It also delineates challenges encountered in transforming a departmental culture to one that is more diverse, equitable, and inclusive and strategies for overcoming these challenges. Finally, it discusses next steps and recommendations for other academic departments.

    Other Resources

    DEI Initiatives. University of Rochester Medical Center. (2023)

    Asian American doctors, overrepresented in medicine, are largely left out of leadership STAT (2023)
    CFAS rep and orthopedic surgeon Charles Day, MD, MBA, was interviewed in STAT about his research, which showed that white doctors were more than four times as likely as their Asian American colleagues to be promoted to medical school department chair positions in a wide array of medical specialties, and that Black and brown doctors were more than twice as likely as Asians to be promoted.

    Professional Organizations for People of Diverse Backgrounds

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