DIVERSITY
A letter from our DEI Chief:
I come from a Latinx and Asian background so trying to fit in has always been a unique feat for me. Looking at the Brown EM website as an applicant, I didn’t see a lot of faces that looked like mine but from the first person that I met on my interview day, I felt as though I fit here. The training is unmatched, the opportunities and funding seem endless, with all that the people here feel like family. I knew that if I matched here, I would want to help bring new perspectives and people into the program and ultimately have a group of residents that would reflect the population we serve in this minority majority city. I arrived and I found overwhelming support for this goal.
After a careful assessment of effective strategies to improve our residency recruitment and retention, we’ve since created a new role: Chief Resident of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We strive to recruit diverse residents from all backgrounds—racial, ethnic, gender and sexual identities—, and life experiences—those with disabilities or have lived with financial hardship. Our program also aims to support our diverse residents that are already here through, focus on anti-racism embedded in our culture, personalized mentorship, access to social emergency medicine and with fellowship and community building.
If you’re reading this letter as an applicant, I hope that you have questions and I hope that you won’t hesitate to ask them. I am always available by email and would love to set up a phone call to discuss the opportunities available in our program and anything else on your mind.
My vision as the DEI Chief resident is that all trainees who want to benefit from the vast resources and the incredible training we have at Brown EM as well as this wonderfully fun city, would feel comfortable being themself here.
Fahad Ali, MD
Resident Physician, PGY3
Chief Resident of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
DIVERSITY
Fellowship and Community Building:
Every other block, the residents who identify as people of color are given protected time for one night to get together, eat, share stories, and just have fun. Sometimes we invite faculty too! This year we will also be providing the same opportunity for those residents who are members of the LGBTQ+ community. We have found that providing this space is important not only for wellness but also for the betterment of our residency as a whole.
Diversity Visiting Student Scholarship:
We offer a $2000 scholarship for fourth-year, URM medical students to participate in our ED sub-internship. You will work alongside and learn from residents and faculty in the emergency department, receive mentorship, and learn all about Brown EM and how you could fit in here. For more information follow the link below:
Anti-Racism Curriculum and DARE:
DARE = Discussing Anti-Racism and Equity
This is an educational intervention aimed at emergency medicine frontline providers. It includes conferences, lectures, simulation, book club, film screenings, and equity-based morbidity and mortality presentations all centered around enhancing the knowledge of our residents and faculty. There is also ample opportunity to get involved in many research projects that strive to learn more about the lack of equity in healthcare and ultimately improve it.
Learn more here:
Anti-Racism Book Club:
Throughout the year, we gather as residents and faculty to discuss books that take on different perspectives on anti-racism. The goal is to spark discussion and to become vessels for change in the department. The books are always paid for by the department and provided to participants whether you can attend the meetings or not.
