Students at the Yale School of Medicine have demanded increased diversity and inclusion and Dean Robert Alpern, MD, has listened and responded, according to a Yale News report.
Dr. Alpern emailed the medical school community earlier this month after students submitted an open letter requesting the administration improve diversity and inclusion, according to the report. The letter included six main demands and was signed by 231 people.
Dr. Alpern's email outlines plans to create a chief diversity officer position, create a Student Diversity and Inclusion Group, re-examine the school's Office of Multicultural Affairs, reassess curriculum and renew the school's commitment to diversify faculty, according to the report.
Yale enlisted Witt/Keiffer and a search committee to find a chief diversity officer, a process that is expected to last six months. Dr. Alpern also noted the school plans to assess support for the Office of Multicultural Affairs as well as the school's curriculum, to ensure it addresses structural racism and health-inequity issues, according to the report.
The dean's announcement was met with initial approval from students interviewed by Yale News, and the hopes the school will follow through to make the efforts successful. For more information on the email and efforts to improve diversity at Yale School of Medicine, read the full story here.
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