Diversity and Inclusion - Service and Engagement Programs - Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine is committed to building an environment where all students, faculty, staff, and invited visitors from varying backgrounds and life experiences, feel a sense of belonging, are engaged, and are valued and respected for their voices and contributions.

These differences include, but are not limited to, internal dimensions such as personality, race, age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, culture, health, ability, learning, thinking and communication style; external dimensions such as geographical location, marital and family status, economic background, access to resources, educational background, work experience, religious, philosophical, and spiritual beliefs, and political views. We acknowledge that categories of differences are not always fixed but also can be fluid. We respect individual rights to self-identification, and we recognize that no one identity is intrinsically superior to another.

Inclusion means more than just acknowledging and/or tolerating difference. The concept of inclusion encompasses acceptance and respect. Inclusion is a set of conscious actions that involve knowing how or learning to relate to those qualities and conditions that are different from our own. It is through inclusion that our learning environment is enriched by the varied perspectives and experiences that each unique member brings to the community and through which we positively affect the healthcare of our world.

Contact Us
Office phone: (248) 370-2076
Email: [email protected]

Meet the team and learn more about the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council and Diversity Champions

Diversity Lecture Series

The Diversity Lecture Series is designed to highlight health equity in medicine and health care, as well as critical challenges of diversity and the way we practice in our community.

Lectures are consistent with OUWB Diversity & Inclusion's mission - to facilitate and promote OUWB's diverse and inclusive medical learning community through pipeline programs, student support and interest groups, educational programs, and community outreach events.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Health Fair

An OUWB student takes someone's blood pressure at the annual Health Fair and Taste Test This annual community health fair takes place every January.

It is open to both Chandler Park Academy students and the surrounding neighborhoods, with attendees receiving basic health screenings and flu shots as well as participating in various educational activities related to the medical field. Read more about it here.

Health Equity Symposium

Health Equity Symposium is an annual program co-sponsored by the Oakland University School of Nursing and Beaumont Health System in honor of National Minority Health Month, which is supported by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It is observed every year in April to highlight the health disparities that persist among racial and ethnic minority populations and the ways in which legislation, policies and programs can help advance health equity.

Kaleidoscope Project

The Kaleidoscope Project at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine is a student-led initiative dedicated to supporting and uplifting the LGBTQ+ community and its allies. Rooted in the principles of diversity, inclusion, and advocacy, Kaleidoscope fosters a welcoming and affirming environment through education, community-building, and meaningful programming.

Click here to learn more.

MedSoul

MedSoul is a transformative mentoring program designed to empower the next generation of medical professionals. It focuses on supporting ALL OUWB medical students—especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups, including Black, Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, first-generation, and LGBTQIA students—who are striving to make a meaningful impact in the medical field. The program aims to foster a sense of belonging and resilience,
helping students thrive throughout their medical education journey.

CampMed

Diversity & Inclusion at Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine hosts a two-day intensive summer educational experience that stimulates interest in science and medicine for high school students interested in medicine or other health-related fields. The program aims to encourage and motivate students to explore STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine) majors in college, and consider becoming a physician after earning a baccalaureate degree.

Saturday Academy

Saturday Academy is as a pathway program into medicine for 9th-12th high schoolers with an emphasis on students from historically marginalized and under-represented population groups in medicine, offered by OUWB’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. This half a day Saturday experience on Oakland University’s campus is designed to explore and engage high school students in careers in healthcare and science related fields offered at OUWB School of Medicine.

Articles

Bailey ZD, Krieger N, Agénor M,Graves J, Linos N, Bassett MT.

Structural racism and health inequities in the USA: evidence and interventions.

Lancet 2017; 389: 1453–63

Bonilla-Silva E.

Rethinking racism: toward a structural interpretation.

Am Sociol Rev 1996; 62: 465–80

Boyd RW.

The case for desegregation.

Lancet 2019; 393: 2484-5.5.

D’amico D, Pawlewicz RJ, Earley PM, McGeehan AP.

Where are all the black teachers? Discrimination in the teacher labor market.

Harvard Educat Rev 2017; 87: 26–49

Hardeman RR, Medina EM, Kozhiman-nil KB.

Structural racism and supporting black lives — the role of health professionals.

N Engl J Med 2016; 375: 2113-5

Tamorah Lewis, MD, PhD

“The Burden of Having Ears that can Hear”

Williams DR, Mohammed SA.

Racism and Health I: pathways and scientific evidence.

Am Behav Sci 2013; 57: 1152–73

Books

Michelle Alexander

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

James Baldwin
The Fire Next Time

Edward Baptist
The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Makings of American Capitalism

Robin J. DiAngelo
White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Race

Randall Kenan
The Fire This Time

Ibram X. Kendi
How To Be An Antiracist
Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racism in America

Ijeoma Olou
So You Want To Talk About Race

Dorothy Roberts
How Science, Politics, and Big Business Recreate Race in the Twenty-First Century

Eli Saslow
Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist

Annaliese A. Singh
The Racial Healing Handbook: Practical Activities to Help You Challenge Privilege, Confront Systemic Racism & Engage in Collective Healing

Harriet A. Washington
Medical Apartheid

Alex Zamalin
Antiracism: An Introduction

Films and TV Series to Watch