The Institutional Justice and Inclusion Committee
About us
Formed in 2017, the Institutional Justice and Inclusion Subcommittee advocates for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion throughout the WSUSOM community. We value the development and integration of robust longitudinal curriculum, extracurricular programming which educates on all aspects of diversity and inclusion, and analysis of how power and difference shape interactions in medicine.
Our mission is to facilitate institutional transformation and empower our community to integrate initiatives and advocate for inclusion and celebration of all marginalized groups. We hope to advance:
A cultural shift within the WSUSOM community that upholds cultural humility to meet the needs of a diverse body of students and faculty;
Integration of health equity and critical consciousness training into curriculum and extracurricular programming.
Meet the team of IJI Warriors!
Click here to read about the students working on IJI initiatives and find their contact information! General Contact form for IJI can be found at the bottom of this page as well!
Current projects
IJI Curriculum Initiative and the Social Justice in Medical Education Coalition — Medical institutions across the nation are being called upon to confront and dismantle the structural racism often built into the very foundations of our medical systems. In collaboration with BMA, BSO, Student Senate and many other student leaders, IJI is proposing a longitudinal curriculum with meaningful integration of social justice and anti-racism principles.
Community Needs Assessment — IJI is currently engaged in a long-term project to gather information on the needs and concerns of the student body. Our goal is to shine a light on voices that are often unheard and use that information to tangibly enhance the WSU-SOM community. Qualitative data was collected from nearly 30 focus groups in early 2020 and is being compiled into a community report. Quantitative data gathering is in progress.
Crisis Action Plan — In order to facilitate an environment of inclusion, IJI believes that administration should have an action plan for the institutional response and student support in the case of a crisis. A crisis is defined as an event, internal to the institution or in the external community, that causes distress to students.
Pronouns and Inclusive Language Project — Working to ensure that language in educational materials during both the pre-clinical and clinical years is inclusive.
Get involved!
We’re always looking for new perspectives and ideas from those passionate about justice, diversity, and equity in medicine — Interest Form
Resources for Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion
Racism in Medicine
Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington
White Privilege in a White Coat: How Racism Shaped my Medical Education (Annals of Family Medicine)
How to Be an Ally
Resources for Students
*More updates coming soon with additional resources including but not limited to LGBTQIA, mental health, expanded cultural sensitivity etc.
Previous achievements
Student Appointees to the Diversity Advisory Council — IJI’s founding members were granted student appointments to the Diversity Advisory Council to the Dean. Current IJI appointees to the DAC are Veronica Santana-Ufret, Ashleigh Peoples, Ntami Echeng, and Bao Chau Nguyen.
Joint Letter from IJI, BMA, Student Senate, BSO — In the wake of the national uprising following the murder of George Floyd, IJI and other student leaders worked together to address our black students, our student body and our larger Detroit community. This letter was additionally circulated to local media outlets
M1 Identities Workshop: Building a Just and Inclusive Medical School Community — IJI members have hosted multiple workshops for incoming students regarding identities
Follow Us!
Stay up to date with IJI at instagram.com/ijiatwayne