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University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Medical School

Mailing Address
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, Texas 75390
Phone
(214) 648-5617
School Information
"UT Southwestern Medical School uses an innovative curriculum and early clinical experiences in some of the nation’s most dynamic health care facilities to train the physicians of tomorrow. Each year, we admit approximately 230 students to begin the next phase of their medical career alongside an intellectually curious class of learners. At UT Southwestern Medical School, learners’ skills are developed through an emphasis on student mentorship by renowned faculty, access to diverse educational opportunities, and student-centered learning communities. Since our founding in 1943, UT Southwestern has been committed to developing the next generation of well-rounded leaders in clinical care and research" (Source: https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/education/medical-school/about-the-school/).
General Information
Since the death of George Floyd, the medical school has taken several actions to outline its commitment to anti-racist teaching. The school has enacted anti-racism, DEI, and bias training. Additionally, a grant has been awarded to restructure curricula. See developments below:

Actions Taken

Admissions Policies
  • The organization Do No Harm also compiled "Verbatim excerpts from secondary application questions posted on ProspectiveDoctor.com." According to the report, the school asks, "Describe an interaction or experience that has made you more sensitive or appreciative of cultural differences, and/ or how you have committed yourself to understanding and aiding in the pursuit of equity and inclusion in your academic, professional or personal life."
Anti-Racism, Bias, and Diversity Training
  • In 2020, the university launched an ongoing Anti-Racism Virtual Series to discuss racialized rules within institutionalized racism and how to be allies for diversity and inclusion to combat racism.
  • In April 2021, the school’s Department of Internal Medicine participated in a “21-Day Anti-Racism, Anti-Bias Challenge” to “advance deeper understandings of the intersection of race, power, privilege, supremacy, and oppression.”
  • The school's Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion conducts "Unconscious Bias/Implicit Bias Training. The sessions "allow attendees to understand various bias, their own bias and how to eliminate them. In addition, the Student Diversity and Inclusion faculty conduct training for various committees on the UT Southwestern community including admission committees and search committees."
Curriculum Changes and Requirements
  • In November 2021, the American College of Surgeons awarded a grant to fund the UT Southwestern “development and implementation of structural disadvantage curriculum for the department of surgery trainees and faculty.”
  • One of the goals of the school's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (DEIC) is to "Assist with planning and creating a core curriculum for DEI/healthcare disparities/SDOH for trainees, faculty, and staff to include education in cultural competencies and implicit bias."
  • The Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion stated that "We have intentionally woven unconscious bias training into our curriculum to promote diversity and inclusion." The office also promotes related events that include the topics of "Unconscious Bias" and "Imposter Syndrome."
Political Actions and Support for Anti-Racism
  • On June 5, 2020, students, employees, faculty, and researchers from the school participated in kneeling in silence as part of “White Coats for Black Lives event against racism and inequity” honoring George Floyd.
Program and Research Funding
  • The UTSW-Parkland Health 2023 Equity Scholars Program is a "2-year initiative that funds 20% of a faculty member's salary and is designed to equip Clinician-Educator or Clinician track faculty with practical tools and experience to engage the community in activities that promote health and support health equity." Scholars will also have access to "training in implicit bias mitigation."
Resources
  • To address systemic racism, the university recommends recognizing one’s implicit racial bias and has Racial Bias Webinars for “Recognizing and Addressing Racial Bias” along with their recommendation to follow-up by taking the Harvard Race Implicit Association Test.
  • Within the school’s department of Diversity and Inclusion, there is an “Anti-Racism Action Subcommittee” that functions to create a culture of anti-racism.”
  • UTSW News reported that the "Medical School Class of 2024 hits record level of underrepresented minority students." According to the article, "underrepresented minority (URM) students make up a record 27 percent of the UT Southwestern Medical School Class of 2024 – significantly higher than the nationwide average of 14 percent cited by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)."
  • On March 17, 2023, UTSW News reported that, according to Melanie S. Sulistio, M.D., Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, the class of 2023 "'played key roles in leading efforts to promote social justice, address racism in medicine, and promote improvements in the curriculum for expanded teaching of social determinants of health'."
Symbolic Actions
  • The school's Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean, W. P. Andrew Lee, M.D., issued a message titled "Recognizing and Addressing Racial Bias" and stated, "As our nation continues to grapple with systemic racism, we must acknowledge the important and unique leadership role we play, as medical and scientific professionals, to decrease racial bias in health care. The first step in this process is to recognize our own implicit biases regarding race."
  • On June 29, 2023, the Medical Center published its response to the Supreme Court's decision regarding race-conscious admission policies and stated the following: “I know that many of you are understandably eager for guidance on the ramifications of Texas Senate Bill 17 (“an act relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at public institutions of higher education”), as well as the Supreme Court ruling issued this morning regarding the use of race in college admissions. Since the passage of SB17 in the recent 88th regular session of the Texas legislature, our Legal and Government Affairs teams have been reviewing the legislation that proscribes a range of activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion to understand its implications for specific diversity, equity, and inclusion offices, positions, and activities here at UT Southwestern. The same high level of analysis is taking place with today’s Supreme Court decision."
Last updated August 3rd, 2023
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