The concepts of equity and diversity, along with intersectionality and cultural safety, are usually discussed in the medical education literature in reference to interactions with diverse patient groups. Equity means not only providing extra access to learning opportunities or health care resources in order to level the playing field, but also being mindful that the structure of medical education in our academic institutions plays a major role “in preserving or dismantling the systematic inequities that permeate our societies”. We must provide our faculty with the knowledge and skills to deliver and advocate for equitable, anti-oppressive care for their patients as well as equitable, anti-oppressive learning environments for their learners. Similarly, diversity needs to go beyond selecting learners or working with faculty members of diverse backgrounds in our learning and work environments. We believe that diversity should encompass meaningful contributions and true intellectual diversity that leads to fulsome inclusion.
We envision creating a community of leaders across the DOM who are held accountable to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion and to strive towards equitable hiring, promotion, pay, and multiple other aspects of day-to-day treatment. We hope to transform our DOM faculty membership to be fully inclusive of the communities and the learners we serve.
It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences
