If you're interested in medical school, you might want to know that Indiana University has other concerns that are addressed at the medical college.
In fact, the school is so excited about social justice that it is planning for it to make Diversity Equal Opportunity, Equity and Inclusion compliance a requirement. That would be the case for those who want to earn tenure.
The Indiana University School of Medicine Faculty Affairs page the proposal for DEI requirements is explained:
Faculty members will be expected to demonstrate their commitment to improving DEI within at least one mission field where they are assessed by providing a brief DEI overview in their personal statement as well as by listing activities related to DEI within their curriculum vitae.
In a sense hopefuls will sit before the people in charge and pray that they won't be deemed obsolete.
The page also clarifies:
- Activities that are related to DEI do not have to fall within the faculty member's domain of expertise.
- Participating in professional development activities (such like attending a seminar) is a good option to satisfy the requirements.
- If it is approved, the requirement would be phased into over 3 years . Faculty members would have several years to complete the requirements.
To prove its existence, the school gives examples of activities that are acceptable. Here are a few examples:
- Outreach to communities that are historically marginalized (e.g. programming for students in K-12 and community groups or religious institutions, and classes for teens that address LGBTQ+ awareness, as well as resources)
- Faculty development to increase self-awareness and understanding ,e.g. taking part in CME or professional development activities, programs, modules, or seminars on DEI issues like microaggressions, unconscious bias upstander training, culturally relevant coaching, and inclusive teaching DEI reading groups
- The scholarship can be in the form of presentations at conferences, publications, or invited talks or presentations at other venues (e.g. online) related to research or actions that focus on specific populations' health issues such as those who are historically excluded or that deal with the differences in therapeutic efficacy or healthcare disparities related to communities that are marginalized.
- Collaborations on research with faculty of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and/or institutions that serve primarily historically marginalized communities (including internationally)
- Scholarships in the form conferences, publications, or invited talks or presentations at other venues (e.g. the internet) in relation to research or other initiatives that address specific populations' health issues that are marginalized historically and/or that deal with different therapeutic effectiveness or the health of people with disabilities, health care delivery that are related to communities who are marginalized.
If you're seeking additional work, but not the complexity of extra pay, you could get tenure.
The site for Academic Affairs states that, during examination a DEI candidate “must demonstrate an integrative approach to the process that is exceptional in contribution for the university. It is vital to understand the fact that Integrative DEI Cases are evaluated in a holistic manner and are a significant change from drawing clear distinctions between teaching, research and service as distinct areas of examination. Cases provide a broad argument for excellence in the spectrum of academic activities that are aligned with equity, diversity, as well as inclusion.”
As was noted in Campus Reform, Indiana also recently revised the honor code of Indiana to add DEI as a key value.
If you'd like to get to refresh your knowledge on “marginalized communities,” the medical school can help:
Populations who have been delegated to lower positions or influence in society due to the systemic disadvantage or being excluded at a later date of full involvement in society, educational, or cultural activities. The existence of disparities can be seen in people from historically marginalized communities on issues such as work, legal rights, and access to healthcare. In healthcare, there are disparities that could be evident in the access to healthcare, being offered lower quality of healthcare, receiving different treatment from healthcare professionals, or receiving care that doesn't satisfy their needs. The term “discrimination” can be broad and covers those who are underrepresented in medical practice as well as those from different communities such as but not only females, LGBTQ+ individuals, individuals with different capacities for cognitive or physical or abilities, indigenous persons, people with low socioeconomic status, and/or immigrants.
In the past, there was a period that medicine was all about medicine while school meant school. Today, education is all about being Woke. And if you're not willing to do this, you're probably not going to take your medicine.
