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ӰԺ Pediatric Residency DEI Commitment

Our pediatric residency program is committed to creating an environment that is intentionally inclusive, diverse, and anti-racist in which all our trainees can thrive, knowing that they are vital members of our community. We are committed to creating a culture of belonging, acceptance, and openness. We believe medical training includes learning how to provide care for patients from all backgrounds and to understand our patients’ health in the context of systems of structural racism and health disparities. We aim to train physicians who will address health inequities as advocates for their communities and leaders in promoting health justice. We strive to reflect the diverse populations we diagnose, treat, and heal.

We share in the vision of the ӰԺ by envisioning a healthier world that is just, equitable, and thriving for everyone, a world where social and human differences are drivers of health and wellbeing, not barriers.

Learn about the ӰԺ Office of Diversity and Inclusion

Learn about ӰԺ's 2024 Visiting Student Health Equity program - Clinical Rotation Award

Learn More

Below: Dr. Earnestine Willis (retired faculty founder of the community pediatrics rotation, Dr. Keli Coleman- current EM attending and former resident at time of photo.

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BELIEVE Curriculum

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Overarching curriculum woven throughout all aspects of our program with contributions from the residency leadership team, Global and Community Health Track, Community Pediatrics team, resident led DEI committee, DEI chief residents 

  • Intern morning reports: Monthly session of the cultural humility series led by members of our resident DEI committee 
  • Noon conferences: Over 50 sessions in 3-year curriculum cycle devoted to BELIEVE curriculum 
  • Noon conference hot topics: Space for new session creation by resident DEI leaders 
  • Resident Retreats: Each retreat has a session  
    • 1st year retreat: Identities and implicit bias
    • 2nd year retreat: Understanding perspectives, cultural humility, and empathy 
    • 3rd year retreat: Becoming leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion 
  • Simulation: New Microaggression Upstander Workshop led by Dr. DeMarco Bowen debuted in 2024, communication workshops 
  • Community Pediatrics: 2-week rotation 1st year and 2nd year focused on community engagement, health disparities, health equity rounds, social determinants of health, social justice, legislative advocacy and more 
  • Midtown Clinic-Children's Wisconsin: Resident clinic located in central Milwaukee in an under resourced community, home of our ambulatory pediatrics rotation 
  • 16th Street Clinic: FQHC located on the south side of Milwaukee, predominantly Spanish speaking community, home to continuity clinic and ambulatory electives for some of our residents 
  • Orientation: Milwaukee-specific education and DEI introduction during intern orientation 
  • Journal Club: dedicated annual session to DEI article 
 
Inclusion, Belonging and Culture
  • Affinity Groups, represent the interests and concerns of traditionally underrepresented populations and/or protected classes of people. Our current affinity groups include Black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, and LGBTQIA +.  
  • PRIDE (Peers Reinforcing Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity) Mentors, connecting residents with other residents who are part of similar underrepresented communities to provide a built-in-buddy/mentor who can help you to navigate some personal, tricky, everyday situations that might be experienced as a result of your identity(ies).
  • Faculty DEI Mentors, Faculty DEI Mixer connecting residents with faculty mentors of shared identity to provide support and guidance during residency and/or collaborate on projects/research. 
  • Microaggression Reporting Tool and Response Team, reporting tool that allows residents to confidentially report microaggressions that were experienced or witnessed.  The response team is then able to provide support, intervene, and educate. 
 
Resident Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee

As pediatricians training in a city filled with its own diversity and rich cultural history, we recognize the importance of addressing diversity, health equity, and inclusion within our program. As such, the program is proud to recognize the presence and work of its Committee for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, a resident-based initiative.

Our 2024-2025 Leadership Team

Michaela Simpson, MD
Liaison
PGY-3
masimpson@mcw.edu

Marilyn Perez, MD
Recruitment & Retention
PGY-2
mlperez@mcw.edu

Maya Gianquinta, MD
Curriculum Advancement
PGY-2
mgianquinta@mcw.edu

Anne Lentino
Curriculum Advancement
PGY-2
alentino@mcw.edu

Emmanuel Aryee, MD
Research
PGY-3
earyee@mcw.edu

Alice Zhang, MD
Research
PGY-4
alzhang@mcw.edu

Paul Otto, MD
Inclusivity & Engagement
PGY-5
peotto@mcw.edu

Sarah French, MD
Advocacy
PGY-2
sfrench@mcw.edu

Our Committee Structure includes subgroups focused on our guiding principles:

  • Recruitment and Retention
  • Curriculum Advancement
  • Research
  • Inclusivity and Engagement
  • Advocacy

Selected Active Projects and Successes

  • Recruitment and Retention: pre-interview season mixer and multiple DEI social hours for interested residency applicants
  • Major contributions to our BELIEVE curriculum
  • Longitudinal cultural humility curriculum
  • Helped implement efforts encouraging conference presenters to include areas of focus on discussion of systemic inequities and tools for providers to address them
  • Annual Poverty Simulation for interns across GME (pediatrics, internal medicine, anesthesia)
  • DEI Podcast Club
  • DEI Book Corner
  • PRIDE Mentors Program (Peers Reinforcing Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity): Fostering a sense of belonging amongst trainees and faculty through connections of people with shared identities
  • Annual Resident DEI Retreat

Future Goals  

  • Enhance and grow our cultural humility curriculum
  • Increasing recruitment and retention of residents that are traditionally underrepresented in medicine and ensure a culture of inclusion and belonging for everyone
  • Optimizing mentorship relationships for students, residents, and fellows interested in engaging with diversity, equity, and inclusion work throughout their careers
  • Continue to expand our community engagement and reach
Community, Engagement and Advocacy
  • Milwaukee Public School Involvement 
  • Doctors’ Day at the Capitol
  • Wheelchair basketball at the Ability Center
  • Advocacy DEI leaders serve as national and state AAP delegates
  • Advocacy corner in the weekly newsletter
  • International Learning Center: Refugee Health Project 
  • Sports Physicals at selected schools to foster access to care and ability to participate for many student-athletes
  • Creative space to develop new community service and advocacy projects  
Recruitment and Retention
  • DEI committee Pre-Interview Season Open House and During Season Social Hours
  • Visiting Student Health Equity Program: Clinical rotation award to provide UIM students opportunity to see Milwaukee and our program
  • Recruitment practices: Holistic reviews and processes, Mitigating bias training for our intern selection committee, 
  • Retention: expanded efforts to foster culture of inclusion and belonging.
  • Attendance at LMSA and SNMA national/regional meetings
  • Participation in pipeline programs and diversity residency fairs with the medical school 
  • Connection with local LMSA, SNMA, APAMSA student organizations 
Scholarship
  • DEI committee active work: Collecting a series of assessments to track resident knowledge, comfort, skills, and behavior in dealing with diversity in the workplace with the aim of using this information in scholarly activity to aid in further curricular development
  • Paul Otto, Chondraah Holmes, Mike Weisgerber, Mike Levas, Abby Schuh: Implementation of a Microaggressions Reporting Tool Within a Pediatric Residency Training Program, Associate Program Directors Forum Platform Presentation, Chicago, IL, APPD 2024
  • Prasad S, Watson A, Trevino R, Jhin A, Wilson K, Román M, Akande O, Hwang M, Gundacker C. Auditing a Comprehensive Cultural Humility Curriculum: A Review and Next Steps of a Novel Educational Framework. Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, Washington, D.C., April 2023
  • Barnes M, Ashoff H, Blankenburg R, Falusi L, Grow M, Gula A, Gustafson S, Laurent S, Li S, Mauro A, McPhillips H, Montez K, Nesiama J, Oddiri U, Ramos M, Poitevien P, Smith C, Tatem A, Turner D, Weisgerber M. Biased Assessments: Helping Programs Identify and Address Bias and Support Diverse Trainees. APPD Annual Meeting Virtual Pre-Conference Workshop, 2022.
  • Tatem A, Ramos M, Gustafson S, Trevino R, Gborkorquellie T, Falusi L, Grow M, Weisgerber M, Nesiama J.  Su Ting-Li, Montez K, Mauro A, Laurent S, Turner D, Smith C, Gula A, Hanna E, Nelson B, Barnes M. DEI Crash Course for Faculty: Addressing Bias in Your Residency Program-APPD 2023 Pre-Conference Workshop Confronting Racism Action Team. Association of Pediatric Program Directors Annual Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, March 2023. 
Leadership/Scholarship Development

Many of our residents have participated in local and national DEI leadership development programs

  • APPD (Association of Pediatric Program Directors)

  • AIMS  (Advancing Inclusiveness in Medical Education Scholars)
  1. Soore Akande – 2020-2021
  2. Chondraah Holmes – 2022-2023
  3. Michael Simpson- 2024-2025
  • UIM Chief Collective
  1. Chondraah Holmes: Co-Chair 2023-2024
  2. Marisa Román: Communications Chair 2023-2024
  • APA New Century Scholars
  1. Robert Trevino 2020-2022
  2. Marisa Román 2022-2024
  3. Emmanuel Aryee 2023-2025
  • AMSPDC Frontiers In Science
  1. Camila Pareja-Zabala 2023
  2. Emmanuel Aryee 2024