GSA Committee on Student Diversity Affairs (COSDA)

The GSA National Committee on Student Diversity Affairs, formerly the Committee on Diversity Affairs (CODA), provides guidance on medical student diversity on a local, regional, and national basis, with respect to student recruitment, admissions, enrollment, retention, and graduation.

• Committee Charge
• Message from the Chair
• Member Resources
• AAMC Resources
• Related Organizations
• COSDA Committee Roster

Committee Charge

The strategic priorities of COSDA are defined under two overarching themes – increasing diversity in the physician workforce and professional development of its constituency. In order to meet the strategic priorities, COSDA advances the full cycle of student engagement and educational support spanning the K-12 through medical school educational continuum in order to increase diversity in the physician workforce. COSDA constituents provide programming and services to engage and support diverse learners in the K-12 pipeline, pre-medical and post- baccalaureate programs, and medical school. They are involved in outreach, recruitment, admissions, retention, support and graduation of diverse students in medicine. The committee is advisory to the GSA Steering Committee, it makes regular reports to the GSA Steering Committee and seeks approval of the GSA Steering Committee for special projects.

Message from the Chair

On behalf of the committee, it is my honor to welcome you to the Group on Student Affairs - Committee on Student Diversity Affairs (GSA-COSDA). I am excited to begin working with the Student Diversity Affairs community and others who have primary responsibility to advance diversity efforts. We want to continually view all aspects of undergraduate medical education through a diversity, equity, and inclusion lens that will allow our students to thrive and be successful. 

COSDA, as one of the five national committees of the GSA, meets regularly to address issues and offer guidance on medical student diversity in student recruitment, admissions, enrollment, retention, and graduation.  We host community calls for COSDA representatives as a means to disseminate information and to gather feedback.  In addition, COSDA works in collaboration with the other national committees on pertinent issues which cross administrative areas, often participating in working groups and joint community calls.  
To ensure advocacy of diversity, equity and inclusion in the medical education space, COSDA also engages with the Group on Diversity Affairs (GDI) and other AAMC groups.  It important that as we move forward.  To this end, it is important that the perspectives provided by diversity affairs experts are heard.

Dr. Ann-Gel Palermo has given great leadership to COSDA over the last four years as the National Chair of GSA-COSDA.  Her energy and passion for this work is contagious and moves everyone around her to push forward in our efforts. We thank her for leadership and for her encouragement and support of COSDA as we continue the work.  We also wish to thank COSDA members who have recently completed their terms, Dr. Natalie Johnson and Dr. Princess Currence, who provided important insights and perspective through their roles on the committee.  

We recognize that COSDA functions in an efficient and effective manner due the efforts of a wonderful AAMC team. Thank you for all you do to aid the committee in its success.

Finally, we welcome your interest in the work of COSDA and the Student Diversity Affairs community.  We know that there is value in creating a diverse medical education environment which benefits all students.  Please contact COSDA with an ideas, proposals or comments that might be of interest to the GSA-COSDA leadership and membership.

Best regards,

Donna H. Jackson, Ed.D. [she/her/hers]
Assistant Dean for Admissions
Director, Office of Student Outreach Programs
Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Medicine
 

Member Resources

(Sign In Required for Some Resources)

• Financial Aid Resource for Student Diversity Officers (PPT)

• Best Practices for Recruitment and Retention of a Diverse Student Body Webinar

• Medical Minority Application Registry (Med-MAR)

• Aspiring Docs

• Minority Student Medical Career Fairs

• Postbaccalaureate Premedical Programs

• Summer Programs Web Database

• Summer Enrichment Programs

AAMC Resources

• Careers in Medicine

• Diversity and Inclusion

• The Strategic Imperative: Leading Change to Improve Health

• Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP)

• Underrepresented in Medicine Definition

• Washington Highlights

Related Organizations

• The Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP)

• National Health Service Corps (NHSC)

• The National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA)

• National Institutes of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program (NIH-UGSP)

• The National Medical Association (NMA)

• The National Medical Fellowships (NMF)

• The Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

• The Student National Medical Association (SNMA)

COSDA Committee Roster

Chair
Donna H. Jackson, EdD (November 2022 - November 2025)
Assistant Dean for Admissions
Director, Student Outreach Programs
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine