Diversity in the College of Medicine
The NEOMED College of Medicine strives to foster and enhance an environment of diversity and inclusiveness that empowers us all to achieve our highest potential. The College of Medicine, as part of Northeast Ohio Medical University, is committed to creating a welcoming environment that embraces human diversity and the appreciation of the many differences of the human experience. Furthermore, the establishment and maintenance of a broadly diverse College of Medicine community will better prepare it to face the health care needs of a multicultural society, in advancing medical knowledge to address issues such as health disparities and social determinants of health, and in dealing with the clinical needs of the varied communities we serve.
We strive especially to increase representation of students who, come from underrepresented minority populations. The College of Medicine also seeks a diverse faculty and staff that complements our student diversity. Diversity among faculty and staff creates a greater number of role models for our students, broadens perspectives on academic and health care issues, and enriches the breadth and depth of understanding across the learning community. In furtherance of our commitment to diversity we will strive to recruit, hire and retain a balanced and diverse faculty and staff that includes continuing representation of women, African-Americans/Blacks, and Hispanics/Latinos.
We expect every member of our academic family to embrace the underlying values of appreciating diversity, and to demonstrate a strong commitment to attracting, retaining, and supporting the students, faculty, and staff who reflect the diversity of the communities that we serve.
Diversity in Admissions
Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Medicine’s mission is to “inspire medical students to become exemplary patient care centered physicians”, who “seek to improve the health and quality of life of the communities of Ohio and beyond, including those both diverse and underserved”.
The Admissions Committee of the College strives to admit students who will practice as integrated providers in the communities of Ohio and beyond, and who work to achieve health equity*. We recognize that diversity and inclusivity encompasses many attributes, such as but not limited to, economically disadvantaged students, sexual orientation/gender identity, students from underrepresented minority populations, veterans, first generation college students, and students from rural or medically underserved areas.
In concert with our college mission toward helping the lives of those diverse and underserved, and while being welcoming and inclusive of all, the Admissions Committee will participate in focused recruitment exercises in an effort to achieve mission-related diversity outcomes. In addition to our holistic approach to inclusivity, the College of Medicine Admissions Committee has identified diversity groups for students to include race (Black/African American) and ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino), and we will strive to recruit and matriculate students from these identified groups.
**Health Equity is when everyone has the opportunity to attain their full health potential and no one is disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of their social position or other socially determined circumstance (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Diversity Outcomes task force
The College of Medicine Diversity Outcomes Taskforce is a subcommittee of the Dean’s Leadership Group (DLG) charged with coordinating diversity initiatives within the functional units of the College i.e. admissions, curriculum and faculty development.
To achieve the set forth expectations, the Diversity Outcomes Task Force will monitor and oversee the following regarding students, faculty, senior administrative staff, and other relevant members of its academic community:
- Establish appropriate mission aligned diversity outcomes.
- Assure effective policies and practices are in place to achieve mission aligned diversity outcomes.
- Engage in ongoing, systematic, and focused recruitment and retention activities for those diversity categories identified as mission aligned.
- Assure the development and use of pipeline programs and partnerships as a strategy for the achievement of diversity among qualified applicants.
- Assure pipeline program and partnerships outcomes are evaluated regularly.
- Provide plans for corrective action measures when diversity outcomes fall below expectations.
- Regularly review LCME Element 3.3 best practices.
- Establish opportunities for the College community to learn about COM diversity efforts.
- Providing ongoing education about accreditation 3.3 expectations to College students, faculty, and staff.
- Identify and offer recommendations for resolution of barriers to diversity efforts.
Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
NEOMED embraces diversity, equity and inclusion values that create a working and learning environment grounded in respect and collegiately of all. The University views diversity as a commitment to recognizing and appreciating the variety of characteristics that make individuals unique — diversity encompasses race, culture, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability and military/veteran status.
