Medical School Dean’s Lecture Series
The Medical School Dean’s Lecture Series is a series of presentations offered to faculty, staff, and students in the Medical School community, as a response to critical issues that are emerging during the pandemic, as well as our efforts to address racial injustice and health disparities within our institution.
The series provides an opportunity for members of our Medical School community to present essential topics and ideas for improving our lives, whether it be within our research, education, clinical work, or service.
Lectures are offered monthly and facilitated by senior leaders of the Medical School. If you have a suggested topic to be considered for future lectures, please submit them here.
April 10, 2024: Building a DEI Office for the Department of Medicine: What We Learned
About the Presentation: Fostering an environment of inclusive excellence and advancing the values of equity and diversity are critical to the academic mission of the University of Minnesota Medical School. In response to the events in 2020, the Department of Medicine (DoM), the largest department in the Medical School, established its inaugural office of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). This presentation highlights the successes and challenges of the DoM DEI Office through the discussion of several initiatives, including the creation of a Diversity Council and the development of a Faculty DEI Addendum.
Presenters:
- Shahnaz Sultan, MD, MHSc, AGAF, Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition
- Cuong Pham, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine
About the Presenters:
Dr. Shahnaz Sultan is a professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and she serves as vice chair for DEI in DoM. She is the former Program Director of the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program and has a background in health services research, evidence synthesis and guideline development, including prior funding focused on colorectal cancer and health disparities.
Dr. Cuong Pham is an assistant professor in the Departments of Medicine and Pediatrics. He works clinically as an addiction specialist and hospitalist at the University of Minnesota Medical Center and as a primary care physician at the Community University Health Care Center (CUHCC). He holds several roles in DEI work. He is the Graduate Medical Education DEI faculty lead and associate vice chair of DEI for DoM. He is currently building a program called DEI Coaches to support medical students through their backgrounds and identities.