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Texas A&M School of Medicine

Medical School

Mailing Address
8447 Riverside Parkway
Bryan, Texas 77807
Phone
(979) 436-0200
Email address
com.admissions@tamu.edu
School Information
"Founded as part of Texas A&M University with a charter class of 32 students in 1977, the Texas A&M School of Medicine was one of five medical schools established by the Teague-Cranston Act. This federal bill created medical schools in conjunction with existing Veterans Affairs hospitals to meet the needs of the medically underserved areas of the country. "From the beginning, the School of Medicine has followed the land grant service tradition of Texas A&M University and sought to provide well trained physicians and medical scientists in areas of need, including primary care and clinical care in rural communities, and to provide affordable medical school training for medical students. To create a workforce equipped to answer these demands, and the demands of a changing health care landscape, the School of Medicine has consistently worked to innovate its curriculum and collaborations. Now home to campuses in Bryan-College Station, Temple, Round Rock, Dallas and Houston, the School of Medicine currently enrolls approximately more than 700 medical students and more than 70 graduate students. "Throughout the School of Medicine, active research programs are currently underway in biochemistry, cancer, cardiovascular and integrated biology, cell and molecular biology, clinical translational medicine, microbial and molecular pathogenesis and neuroscience. Research is conducted through both the basic science and clinical departments, and the research institutes affiliated with the college. "The School of Medicine remains committed to providing an environment which promotes the Texas A&M Core Values in its physicians and scientists. An emphasis on broad-based instruction in the medical sciences produces individuals with the knowledge, expertise, and vision to meet the challenges facing medicine in the 21st century in human science, clinical skills and patient care." (Source: https://medicine.tamu.edu/about/history.html)
General Information
The school of medicine has an office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. As part of its DEI statement, the college will aim for "Continuous student, staff, and faculty development on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)." The school has a "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee," which aims to "promote the vision and mission of the School of Medicine as stated in the DEI statement."

Actions Taken

Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • As part of its DEI statement, the college will aim for "Continuous student, staff, and faculty development on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)."
  • The school published its "2020 University Diversity Plan Accountability Report" which introduced (Pg.5) "new measures to promote diversity" including the "TAMU-mandated implicit bias training for search committee members."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • The school published its "2020 University Diversity Plan Accountability Report" and stated on Pg. 11 that "an anti-biased curriculum taskforce (ABC) of students and faculty are working to improve equity in the curriculum. The objective of this taskforce is the inclusion of course content representative of race, ethnicity, and lifestyle characteristics aligned with what doctors see in practice."
Faculty/Staff Requirements
  • As part of the "2020 University Diversity Plan Accountability Report," the school said that it implemented "Monthly DEI Seminar/Workshop series for mindset change/scholarship," "TAMU-mandated implicit bias training for search committee members," and "DEI statement requirement."
Political Actions and Support for Anti-Racism
  • Texas A&M University’s president resigned in July of 2023 due to how “negative press has become a distraction.” This followed the retraction of a job offer to Katherine McElroy, which was retracted due to her “past work to improve diversity and inclusion in newsrooms.” The hiring decision was reported to have been seemingly made as part of a racial agenda, and following the controversy, President Katherine Banks resigned from her position as president.
Program and Research Funding
  • The committee will also "Promote DEI scholarship, including attracting external grants."
  • The school's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion reports on its 2014 "Aggie Doctor Initiative and stated that the Office "received the THECB Minority Health Research and Education Grant for Recruitment and Retention. This grant has funded the Aggie Doctor Initiative (ADI), which works to combat the scholastic and social struggles that students face when undertaking new academic challenges." The Office continues to report, "For racially underrepresented students (African American and Hispanic/Latino) these effects are often magnified as issues related to being traditionally underrepresented (discrimination, lack of confidence), creating additional barriers to success."
Resources
  • The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion "gives administrative and financial support to URM students’ organizations through the students’ Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, which oversees URM-based student-led activities, including a monthly DEI seminar series to foster inclusivity in both medical and postgraduate programs."
  • The school of medicine has an office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
  • The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has "EXCELLENCE IN DEI AWARDS," where award winners receive "$500 and a plaque" based on the criteria of "Accountability," "Campus climate," and "Equity."
  • The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion provided resources including "We are Living in a Racist Pandemic" and "Resources for Engaging in Anti-Racism Work."
  • The school has a "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee," which aims to "promote the vision and mission of the School of Medicine as stated in the DEI statement."
  • The DEI committee will "Organize and participate in seminar, workshop and symposia series that promote DEI" and "Regularly monitor the DEI climate of the School of Medicine."
  • As part of its DEI statement, the college will aim to "Form DEI committees (including students; staff and faculty)" and "Get a DEI rep in all recruitment committees (including students, staff, and faculty recruitment)."
  • In June 2020, the school's Student Diversity and Inclusion Committee published its July Newsletter which reports on the June 6-7 "White Coats for Black Lives Protests" and a town Hall meeting with police chiefs and the school's "Anti-Racism Task Force." (Several other anti-racism resources are also included in the newsletter.)
Symbolic Actions
  • As part of its Strategic Plan, the School of Medicine will "Foster a climate that promotes diversity, inclusion, and equity while embracing cultural differences."
  • On January 16, 2023, the online publication Washington Examiner published an article titled "Texas A&M medical school bragged about removing photos of white male alumni" and states that the medical school "bragged that removing photos of white male alumni was an example of its institutional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, new documents reveal." The article goes on to state that the medical school "included the response in a survey it completed for the Association of American Medical Colleges last year, which the organization used for its Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity Inventory."
  • The school's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion issued a statement on the Covid Pandemic and racism and stated that "The pandemic continues to inflict disproportionately high levels of morbidity and mortality in minority communities of color and particularly so in our Black/African American communities." The Office also said, "the ugly and continuing history of extrajudicial killings of Blacks/African Americans has added a tremendous burden on an already deeply sad and devastating situation."
  • On March 2, 2023, the Texas A&M University System announced, “Chancellor John Sharp today directed all universities and agencies in The Texas A&M University System to remove Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) statements from their employment or admission practices.”
  • On March 19, 2023, it was reported that, “Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said his system is more committed than ever to getting into diverse communities and neighborhoods to recruit both students and faculty.”
Last updated July 25th, 2024
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