Dear members of the Group on Faculty Affairs,
On behalf of the AAMC Council of Deans (COD) Administrative Board, I am writing to share a new AAMC report resulting from the COD Collective Action Initiative on Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), The Power of Collective Action: Assessing and Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts at AAMC Medical Schools.
Beginning in February 2022, 101 AAMC member medical schools participated in collective administration of the AAMC's Diversity, Inclusion, Culture, and Equity (DICE) Inventory. The COD Administrative Board developed this strategic call to action, in partnership with leaders of the AAMC’s Action Plan 3, to demonstrate a collective commitment to sustained action and accountability within the COD and outline specific institutional strengths and areas for improvement related to DEI. Members across the AAMC’s various affinity groups played important roles in this effort by serving on their institutions’ implementation teams and dedicating significant time to collaboratively completing the inventory.
The data in this report present a snapshot in time representing the range of policies, practices, and programs that medical schools have implemented to impact the climate and culture related to DEI. In addition to highlighting areas of strength and practices that medical schools across the country can adopt to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture for their campuses, the publication identifies opportunities for improvement, whether through changes at the university and school levels or through the development of resources, tools, and learning activities in collaboration with the AAMC.
This publication is now available for download across the academic medicine community. The COD has already begun using the findings to develop targeted learning opportunities among deans and with collaborators, and we hope that members of your affinity group will find the resource valuable as you work within your disciplines to advance DEI locally and nationally. Additionally, we hope data in this report highlight areas where different groups can come together to acknowledge the limitations of current practices, identify and overcome barriers to implementing effective policies and programs, and continue to collect and monitor data to assess the effectiveness of our efforts to achieve the desired outcomes.
With appreciation for your commitment to advancing DEI,
Henri Ford, MD, MHA
Dean and Chief Academic Officer, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Chair, AAMC Council of Deans Administrative Board
Member, AAMC Board of Directors