As a department and training program, UAMS Pathology is committed to the principles of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity and provides an inclusive environment that welcomes diversity and acceptance. Our institution has the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DDEI), which provides valuable resources for our department and sponsors regularly scheduled events. Examples include the celebration of an annual Diversity and Inclusion Month featuring the State of Diversity and Inclusion Address, the Winthrop Rockefeller Distinguished Lectureship Series and International Fest. Other noteworthy events include the celebration of Women’s History Month and the Proud to Serve All event affirming the UAMS commitment to providing all Arkansans with quality care, regardless of a patient’s gender identity or sexual orientation.
Our current teaching faculty cohort in the Department of Pathology represents different race/ethnicity groups (from all over the world) at a distribution that is similar to national published data for academic pathologists and comparable to UAMS overall. Department committees consist of faculty members with diverse backgrounds (training, race/ethnicity/gender) to foster diversity of thought.
Our residency and fellowship training programs are also committed to positive good faith efforts to recruit, employ, and promote qualified applicants regardless of gender, race, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, disability, or genetics. Our department strives to create an inclusive opportunity for department members to be involved in all steps of recruitment and selection. All program residents and faculty are invited to volunteer to review residency applications if interested. All faculty are invited to participate in interviewing residency applicants and all current residents are invited to participate in recruitment dinners and lunches (or virtual sessions as applicable) with the applicants. All faculty and all residents are invited to participate in the applicant ranking process.
By opening up recruitment and selection activities to all departmental members, we are inviting a variety of perspectives and backgrounds to participate in this process. Also, our program considers D.O. applicants and international medical graduates in the same algorithm as U.S. M.D. students. Collectively, all of these efforts have allowed us to recruit, select and retain a diverse resident cohort. Trainee race/ethnicity distribution is roughly comparable to the nationally reported data for AP/CP pathology residents.
A large world map shows where faculty and residents were born and highlights our collective diversity in regard to country of origin. Quarterly, we highlight a faculty or resident/fellow in a Diversity Spotlight. Recent faculty and resident surveys demonstrate a very high satisfaction rate (>90%) in regards to our department’s DEI efforts.
