Summary of COMSEP’s DEI Initiatives:
- Creation of a DEI Resource and Advisory Committee as a standing committee (enshrined in the Bylaws)
- Adoption of a Statement of Inclusivity to help guide all our work
- Developed a new system for collecting demographic information of COMSEP members to better understand the current racial/ethnic, gender identities and sexual orientation of members
- Developed a system to provide resources/advising to COMSEP’s Collaboratives, including DEI Committee representation in most Collaboratives
- Recurring monthly DEI focus on COMSEP’s weekly newsletter highlighting issues and resources pertaining to DEI
- Partnered with Executive Committee to diversify leadership and voices
- better advertisement of leadership positions
- more transparent selection process
- better descriptions of positions
- verbiage in all calls to encourage members from diverse backgrounds to run
- facilitated by adding a DEI Committee member to the Nominations & Awards Committee
- Ongoing collaboration with other national organizations (such as the APPD, APA)
- APPD Confronting Racism Action Team - Underrepresented in Medicine Mentoring Subgroup
- APA Antiracism and Diversity Task Force
- Developed a DEI Resource webpage on the COMSEP website
Immediate Areas of Focus
- Further Engage Collaboratives in their DEI & antiracism efforts
- Diversify COMSEP leadership at all levels
- Keep DEI webpage on COMSEP website updated
- Develop scholarship fund to support students from diverse backgrounds in attending the Annual Meeting
Long-term Areas of Focus
- Develop a system for using an Equity Impact Assessment tool for COMSEP programs
- Examine issues of bias in assessment of medical students
- Explore a formal Pathway to Pediatrics program for medical (and possibly premedical) students from underrepresented backgrounds with scholarship support
- Consider programing for pediatric residents interested in medical student education