Once again, thank you for joining me on our weekly blog! In November 2024, two of our Scott Massey PhD, LLC consultants presented the webinar “DEI Action Plans.”  Dr. Tina Butler and Dr. Johnna Yealy guided viewers through the critical principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion and how these can be effectively integrated into PA programs. I’d like to use the following blogs to highlight and expand upon their valuable insights.

The Social Conundrum

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in today's polarized climate have come under fire. Yet, for medical professions, DEI remains relevant and crucial for success. Why? Because DEI directly impacts our core mission:

• Improved retention: DEI fosters an environment where faculty and students from all backgrounds can thrive, reducing turnover and enhancing institutional stability.

• Student well-being: Despite the rigors of graduate education, DEI practices help create a supportive atmosphere, leading to happier, more productive students.

• Enhanced patient care: DEI training equips future medical professionals to treat diverse patients with respect and cultural sensitivity.

• Broader reach: DEI enables us to train professionals from all walks of life, which is essential for serving underrepresented communities.

Critics argue that DEI leads to "reverse discrimination" or lowers standards. However, true DEI isn't about quotas or compromising quality. It's about creating equal opportunities and recognizing diverse talents that traditional metrics might miss. By embracing DEI, graduate schools don't just produce more diverse graduates – they produce better graduates, ready to excel in our increasingly interconnected world.

For our purposes, there are two helpful things to remember:

1. Pay attention to your state laws. PAEA has published an excellent collection of articles, webinars and resources that can really help with understanding what is permitted and required. Here is a link to their page: https://paeaonline.org/resources/public-resources/affirmative-action-decision-and-state-edi-resources

2. You don’t have to call it DEI. At present, the term “DEI” can be provocative, and much of the problem stems from poorly defined concepts. Generally, as a culture, we can’t consistently decide what diversity, equity, and inclusion mean. You might find it most efficient to simply call your “DEI” program or initiatives something else that better fits your program goals. 

Dr. Yealy stated it well in the webinar. “Instead of DEI events, we do cultural competency events… because that’s what we’re trying to create: students and healthcare providers who are culturally competent. They are able to treat and take care of every patient with respect…Whether or not there are mandated DEI initiatives, there are still ways to reach the end goal.”

Having said all that, please note that we’ll use the term “DEI” in these blogs because it is also used in the webinar.

The 'Why' Behind DEI

Before diving into strategies, it's vital to understand the 'why' behind DEI initiatives:

1. Compliance: Accreditation bodies now mandate DEI efforts and action plans. It's not just about ticking boxes; it's about creating a culture of inclusion.

2. Addressing Healthcare Disparities: Research shows that a diverse healthcare workforce directly impacts patient outcomes. Your efforts today shape tomorrow's healthcare landscape.

3. Improved Recruitment: We want our faculty, staff, and students to come from various backgrounds. DEI initiatives promote recruitment among populations that might otherwise be hard to reach. Likewise, prospective faculty, staff, and students from underrepresented populations will likely check your website and policies to see if they feel comfortable applying.

4. Student Wellbeing: Remember, we wouldn't be here without students. DEI initiatives foster a sense of belonging, which is crucial for student success. How can we improve our students’ experiences, truly making them feel like part of a community populated by many different people from different walks of life?

5. Retention: We’ve all been in situations where we felt like we didn’t belong. Unless something changed, we probably didn’t stay very long, either. A strong DEI framework can help keep students engaged and supported throughout their journey. We want to engage our students beyond the routine of study-test-sleep! Likewise, retaining faculty and staff is far easier when those professionals feel a sense of belonging to the institution and program.  

So, some powerful reasons exist to ensure a culture of DEI is established in our programs. 

Next time…

We’ll discuss Drs. Yealy and Butler’s suggestions for getting started, building the foundation of DEI in your program, forming a committee, creating a mission statement, and drafting the initial DEI action plan. The good news is, it’s not nearly as complicated as you might fear! Please join us then and learn all about it.