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The Office for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (ODMA) is delighted to welcome Jennifer (Jenna) Blythe-Tija, who will be spearheading medical student recruitment programs with the intention of building a more robust and sustainable pipeline to medical school. 

ODMA seeks to develop and maintain an engaging multicultural learning community that promotes the importance of diversity, social responsibility, ethical leadership, and education through health care, medical teaching, and research. Jenna’s core intent is to enhance outreach, education, and resourceful services for underrepresented student populations so they can best become tomorrow's healthcare leaders. Jenna, along with UAB School of Medicine and other health career professional schools participate in a variety of recruitment visits, presentations, and on-campus tours for students considering medical school.

The significance of commemorating heritage months can be felt on multiple levels. One way, alluded to by Pauline Ford, Program Coordinator for the UAB Department of Radiology’s Neuroradiology Fellowship program, stated that Caribbean people “have an indomitable spirit—a perspective that I think can benefit everyone.”

SOM Office for Diversity and Inclusion agrees with Ford, and since June is Caribbean American Heritage Month, we will spotlight the heritage and culture of Caribbean-Americans in the context of the U.S., Birmingham, and at UAB.

This article is the first in a series where we discuss the history and significance of Caribbean-Americans in the makeup of the United States. Then, each of the SOM newsletters throughout June will include a featured article to help you learn something new.

In part one of our series celebrating Caribbean-American heritage month, we introduced UAB’s own, Pauline Ford.

Pauline is the Program Coordinator for the Department of Radiology’s Neuroradiology Fellowship program. Outside of that, she is the founder of the Central Alabama Caribbean American Organization (CACAO).

In Part 1 of our Caribbean American Heritage month series, we explained the importance of the culture in the U.S.; however, the impact can be felt much closer to home—on UAB’s campus.

For the last part of our series, we will show the breadth of Caribbean American heritage at UAB through three spotlighted individuals.

Earlier this month, the School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion hosted a follow-up Racial Justice Town Hall.

During this session, moderators and panelists discussed how the Racial Justice Priorities were developed, the improvements that have been made, and what the future still holds.

Panelists included leadership, a School of Medicine staff representative, and ODI Faculty Association representatives.

The Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion partnered with its Black and African American Faculty Association to host an inaugural Juneteenth Commemoration Event for students, faculty, and staff on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, in the West Pavilion Atrium. The popular event was the largest in recent ODI history with roughly 300 attendees over the course of the day.

The Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion would like to wish everyone a Happy Kwanzaa—filled with love, joy, and prosperity.

If you’re unfamiliar with the holiday, we’re here to help educate and inform.

At the end of January, the School of Medicine’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion hosted the annual “Second Look” weekend. During this time, minority students underrepresented in medicine (URiM) considering residencies at UAB were invited to join current students and faculty for Diversity Grand Rounds, featuring James E.K. Hildreth, Ph.D, MD.

In addition to hearing Dr. Hildreth inspire listeners through “The Transformative Power of ‘ONE,’” prospects were encouraged to participate in the fun of our annual diversity fair, as well as attend a reception that recognized the critical contributions of URiM faculty at UAB School of Medicine.

Entering the summer of 2020 was a complicated time. As a state, Alabama was starting the process of reopening. As an institution, the University of Alabama at Birmingham remained in limited business operations—managing University courses online and administrative responsibilities via work-from-home. This in-between stage created many questions for people enrolled in UAB programs, especially those coming from other states with their own set of COVID-19 guidelines.

The UAB Student National Medical Association (SNMA) was honored at the 2018 Student Excellence Awards on April 12, 2018, as the recipient of the 2017-2018 Program of the Year Award. The award recognized the Annual Integrative Healthcare Summit, which enjoyed its 14th year on February 24, 2018. 

Each year, the Integrative Healthcare Summit brings togther high school and college students from within and beyond Alabama, exposing these students to a vast array of healthcare fields and professions. Although targeted at underserved and under-represented minority populations, any student in the relevant age group is invited to attend. The 2018 Summit represented the 4th year that high school students were invited to participate, and included workshops, interactive hands-on sessions, and student-led panels.

"We had a record number of attendees, volunteers, and community affiliates. There were over 20 programs representing dental, medical, nursing, veterinary, allied health, and optometry institutions from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee," say members of the Summit's planning committee. "Our committee worked tirelessly on this event and we are thankful that the Summit is receiving recognition. We are hopeful that the success of this year's Summit will garner more support for future years."

Medical students Alana C. Jones and Alana C. Nichols were present to receive the award.

For many aspiring medical students, the steps required to become a doctor may not be obvious. Things such as taking appropriate undergraduate courses, entry exams, internship programs, and residency are just a few things for which applicants have to be prepared. Thankfully, those with a family friend who is a physician or who make regular trips to the doctor, get exposure to medical professionals at an early age— which is critical in the development of one’s career.

Now, take a moment to imagine navigating the medical education system in a foreign country, whose primary language isn’t your own. With a career choice such as medicine, this dream could be a seemingly daunting mission. 

Thankfully, the passion that fueled Julio Cesar and Dasiel Bellido De Luna, who are currently MS4 and MS3 respectively at UAB School to Medicine, to pursue their medical degree outweighed the fears and uncertainty that inevitably raced through their minds. 

Each September, organizations from across the country honor the contributions of women in medicine. At UAB, we are fortunate to have faculty and staff who continually push to advance their respective areas of medicine. Recently, award-winning Ashita Tolwani, M.D., Assistant Nephrology Fellowship Director and Director of ICU Nephrology, was able to get FDA approval during the COVID-19 pandemic to use a solution she created in 2004.

Early on Saturday morning, February 25, more than 70 high school and college students gathered on the UAB Campus to learn about the myriad possibilities available to them in the study of health professions. The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) sponsors this annual event, which is dedicated to exposing students from underrepresented populations to a broad spectrum of careers in health-related fields.

The UAB chapter of the SNMA is headed by four second-year medical students: Chisom Ifediba, President; Jarvis Johnson, Vice President; Maurice Asouzu, Treasurer, and Grace Raines, Secretary. Together, these students coordinate the health fairs, educational outreach efforts, and pipeline development programs that characterize the work of the organization.

“SNMA’s focus on underserved and underprivileged communities drew me to SNMA,” says Ifediba, who serves as the President of the UAB chapter. “We have a unique way of looking at things; we don’t just focus on health disparities, we strengthen the pipeline programs and make sure that individuals can be educated and then go back to serve their communities.”

Although summer at UAB has a sense of calm, among the health professions students were busy. As the temperature climbed over 95 degrees, the Summer Health Enrichment Program (SHEP) was in full swing, drawing together students from universities and colleges throughout the Southeast. From Miles College to Xavier University to the University of Miami, from Emory University to Auburn to Troy University, students from all walks of life assembled at UAB for 5 weeks to learn more about the realities of pursuing a career in health care.

“SHEP identifies promising students and provides them with opportunities to strengthen their applications,” says Brandon Wolfe, Ph.D, Director of the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs in the School of Medicine. “They also create meaningful connections and networks between like-minded students and health care professionals. In doing so, we strengthen the pipeline to the health workforce.”

The Summer Health Enrichment Program invites undergraduate students and recent graduates to UAB to delve into numerous health care interests: medicine, rural medicine, dentistry, and physician assistant programs. SHEP students attend workshops and lectures in professionalism, basic science, interviewing skills, clinical and research experiences, and exam preparation. Interactions with physicians, optometrists, dentists and other health care professionals provide a window into those professions; laboratory experiences and community service activities offer real-world experiences.

For the second summer in a row, first and second year college students, as well as community college students, have gatherered at UAB for the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP). This program, funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is a 6-week-long in-depth exposure to health professions. Labs, lectures, and simulations combine with networking and recreational activities to make SHPEP an experience to remember. 

SHPEP UAB accepts 80 students annually. The goal of the program is to increase diversity in health professions by recruiting and preparing underrepresented minority and disadvantaged students for successful educational experiences and a careers in health care. The Heersink School of Medicine partners with the School of Dentistry, the School of Optometry, and the School of Health Professions to offer comprehensive and educational programming. 

The 2018 summer program kicked off June 4. On orientation day, students not only received their ID badges and visited Undergraduate Career and Devleopment, they participated in a scavenger hunt with GeoTrek Monday to learn about UAB's campus. Their experiences have also included anatomy lectures, shadowing orientation, an ultrasound workshop, and leadership/professional case conferences. 

SHPEP will include many additional offerings, including community-based experiences, including primary care in underserved populations, workshops on study and life skills, and instruction on health science topics, scientific writing, and critical reasoning.

This free program is open to all first and second year college students through an application process. For more information, click here.

One of the crucial mechanisms to address health disparities, the difference in health outcomes between different populations in the United States, is to train minority researchers and health care providers. Research has demonstrated myriad times that cultivating a healthy, high-quality pipeline for minority scholars, beginning at a young age, can result in greater minority representation in the health professions. 

This year, the summer training programs for students interested in health care professions have expanded substantially. This is the first summer for both the STEP-UP and SHPEP programs, while the long-standing SEP program celebrates its 10^th year.

The Short-Term Research Experience for Underrepresented Persons, or STEP-UP, is currently in its first year. It’s a research-based program which gives each student 8-10 weeks of full-time research experience. The program pairs 22 undergraduate students with mentors, who guide them through a research program, which includes training in the responsible conduct of research. The STEP-UP Program is a federally funded program managed and supported by the Office of Minority Health Research Coordination (OMHRC) in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The overall goal of STEP-UP is to build and sustain a biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social science research pipeline focused on NIDDK’s core mission areas of diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases and nutrition; kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. The program includes the payment of all travel expenses to the annual STEP-UP Research Symposium held on NIH’s main campus in Bethesda, Maryland.

“How do we embrace everyone across difference?” Dr. John Stone asked the auditorium of surgical residents and faculty on the early morning of January 26. “How do we maintain high levels of both ethics and professionalism?”

Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), offered through the School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion, will complete its first-ever virtual summer program Friday (7/10). What was traditionally a six-week, in-person education program, was modified in late March/early April to fit within the University’s limited business model.

Ever wonder how women with high-demanding jobs have a work-life balance? Well, you may be surprised to learn that they don’t!

In the School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion’s upcoming Transforming Success® professional development program, program leaders from McDonald Graham—a duo that provides leadership development and coaching services—explain that work-life balance is a myth.

“Women throughout the workforce, from all walks of life, are having similar experiences,” says Lisa Graham, Ph.D., “and we feel very compelled to address them.”

Lisa Graham, Ph.D., and Julie McDonald, Ph.D., of McDonald Graham LLC, are engaging women faculty in the Heersink School of Medicine in their Transforming Success seminars, sponsored by the Heersink School of Medicine Office for Diversity and Inclusion. Transforming Success is a series of leadership development sessions aimed at changing the way in which women faculty view success, and their own climb through the ranks of academic medicine. Graham is an organizational psychologist and McDonald is a clinical psychologist; their unique backgrounds and training have spurred them to offer real, meaningful tools to the clients they serve.

For several weeks throughout the fall of 2017, 19 women faculty members, who were selected to represent their departments at the Heersink School of Medicine, will learn how to shift their thinking to better prepare them for success, under the guidance of the psychologists at McDonaldGraham, LLC.