diversity & inclusion

welcome from our diversity officer

I am thrilled that you are considering the Brown University Med-Peds Program for your residency training. The program has a long history of fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for residents.  We understand that diversity gives all healthcare providers the opportunity to explore different cultures, which enriches the educational experience and, more importantly, provides a framework for each resident physician to better understand their patients and provide excellent patient care.

The Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine at Alpert Medical School are committed to building diverse and inclusive Residency Programs. We are excited to announce the expansion of our diversity initiative in the upcoming academic year. Our overarching goal is to increase the number of residents from diverse backgrounds. As you research residency programs, I invite you to learn about the culture of Providence and greater Rhode Island. Rhode Island is much more than the home of outstanding universities and wonderful beaches. The City of Providence is racially, ethnically, socioeconomically, and spiritually diverse. Please check out our guidebook for more information.

The Brown Med-Peds Residency Program is proud to partner with the Brown Minority Housestaff Association (BMHA), Brown Sexual and Gender Minority Association (BSGMA), and the Brown University Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (ODMA).

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have about Providence or our residency program.

Sabina D. Holland, MD
Diversity Officer for the Department of Pediatrics
Sabina_Holland@brown.edu

about

We are a teaching and learning community that embraces diverse perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. Institutional diversity enhances trust and communication, facilitates development of culturally appropriate clinical and research programs, and makes us better partners to the communities that we serve.

Our institutions are committed to advancing diversity and inclusion within the healthcare field. The Brown Minority Housestaff Association and the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (ODMA) are devoted to providing a supportive space to all housestaff and learning opportunities to improve culturally competent patient care.

  • Click here to view a recording of last year’s Diversity in Medicine Virtual Residency Recruitment Fair, an event that featured overviews of Alpert Medical School and specific residency programs at Brown, a day in the life of our residents, strategies for virtual applications, and Q&A session. 

BMHA

The Brown Minority Housestaff Association (BMHA) is a resident/fellow-run organization that helps promote diversity and inclusion within the hospital and graduate medical education communities. Every year, the organization sponsors lectureships and community outreach opportunities that housestaff can participate in. BMHA also works closely with Brown’s Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. Furthermore, residents can serve as mentors to rising medical students as they navigate choosing a specialty and applying for the match. Katrina Byrd (Combined Med-Peds ID Fellow) was the BMHA President for AY2020-21. If you are interested in speaking with a BMHA representative during your interview virtual visit to Brown, please let us know and we will gladly arrange an introduction.

second look for underrepresented students

Every year, students who self-identify as underrepresented in medicine (URiM) are invited to participate in the annual Brown Minority Housestaff Association’s Second Look, a virtual event held after interview season is over and a wonderful opportunity to connect with Brown residents and faculty.

bsgma

The Brown Sexual and Gender Minority Alliance (BSGMA) is an organization devoted to education, advocacy, and support for sexual and gender minority trainees and faculty affiliated with the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Membership is open to any and all trainees, faculty, and students regardless of identity or orientation. For more information, please email brownsgma@gmail.com or check out their Instagram @brownsgma.

basce fellowship

Brown Advocates for Social Change and Equity (BASCE) is a Fellowship offered through the Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs at Alpert Medical School of Brown University. BASCE Fellows are selected to participate in a yearlong program aimed at developing healthcare leaders who will engage peers in dialogue around issues of racism, cultural diversity, inclusion, social justice and health equity. The program, open to medical students, residents, fellows, attendings, and allied health professionals, encourages vertical and horizontal mentorship and learning in a non-hierarchical manner with current and past BASCE cohorts. Founded in 2017, BASCE encourages deepening of antiracism work through foundational understandings of theories including Critical Race Theory, Public Health Critical Race Praxis, Camara Jones’ three levels of racism, DisCrit, and Critical Whiteness Studies. BASCE Fellows are trained to facilitate sessions and engage in critical antiracism and anti-oppression work within their institution. Fellows are provided access to up to $500 to develop and carry out a leadership project. For more information please email odma@brown.edu.

med talks

Medical Education through Diversity (MED) Talks is a speaker series initiated in 2015 as a means of creating and facilitating dialogue between patients and the medical community that cares for them. Representatives from minority populations are invited as panelists and asked to share their cultural values and reflect on how such perspectives influence their interface with the medical system and their healthcare providers. Audience members are encouraged to ask difficult ethical questions aimed at increasing provider understanding of the most  culturally competent and humble care. This project is supported by grants from the Gold Foundation and funds from the Brown Minority Housestaff Association. Past panels have explored bias and disparity amongst multiple groups and communities including resettled refugees, LGBTQ youth, Jehovah’s Witnesses, incarcerated patients, patients with housing insecurity, veterans, patients suffering from obesity, victims of sexual assault and trafficking, and those with histories of trauma. 

BRIM

Brown’s Department of Internal Medicine is one of 20 such departments in the United States participating in Bias Reduction in Internal Medicine (BRIM), an educational faculty development study to address identification and reduction of implicit bias. Based at the University of Wisconsin, this program was initiated at Brown in fall 2020.  

visiting medical student scholarship

Brown University and Hasbro Children’s Hospital is proud to sponsor the Diversity in Medicine Visiting Student Scholarship. Every year, qualified URiM students are selected from a competitive applicant pool to receive this scholarship to help pay for costs associated with doing away rotations at Brown. Medical students who are interested in applying for residency at Brown are encouraged to apply. These students will be paired up with resident and faculty members of the BMHA for mentorship. Students can choose from a variety of visiting electives. We strongly encourage students interested in this scholarship to apply for away rotations early. Questions about this scholarship should be directed to diversity-visiting-scholarship@brown.edu.