Fourth year medical students at Saint Louis University School of Medicine were recognized recently for fostering diversity in the school and community at the annual John H. Gladney M.D. Awards dinner.
Marc A. Nivet, Ed.D., chief diversity officer at the Association of Medical Colleges was the guest speaker for this year’s John H. Gladney M.D. awards at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. He said the simple definition for diversity is difference. Nivet explained that difference – or diversity, in and of itself is not inherently good – however, diversity can be used for good in order to solve complex issues.
“Inclusion is the necessary fuel to animate that diversity to make use of those differences. It’s not great just to have different people in the room. What is the outcome of that difference? How do we leverage each other’s different backgrounds, perspectives, interests, experiences,” Nivet said.
“All of the single problems in this world is rolled up in complex frames. And when you have complexity; it actually requires individuals with different backgrounds and interests and ideas to begin to solve these complex problems.”
This takes a more productive view of our differences rather than the traditional approach.
“I think the opportunity is upon us to think not about diversity as a problem we are trying to solve … but actually as a tool to be harnessed, leveraged and used to solve some of our most complex problems; whether that’s in research; whether that’s in patient care; whether that’s in the social determinants of care; and whether that’s in our educational environment,” Nivet said.
The top Gladney award was earned by Sean Smith, for his work as a peer mentor through the Pipeline/Healthcare Workforce Diversity Program elective at Clyde C. Miller-Health Careers Academy and for serving as a program assistant during the Summer Scholars Program at the medical school. Additionally, Smith gave presentations to other high school students on his pathway to medicine; served on medical student panels for the Student National Medical Association and his involvement in the Office of Multicultural Affairs programs. He also tutored fellow med students in course studies and prep exams.
Smith plans to specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Barnes-Jewish.
“We had a more difficult selection than ever because of the degree of diversity of the people that applied for the Gladney fellowship and we also had a tremendously talented group of people,” said Michael Railey, M.D. associate dean for Multicultural Affairs and associate professor of Family and Community Medicine at SLU School of Medicine “The list of the things those candidates did was probably one of the best ever.”
Eight additional students received Gladney awards, including Kate Brathwaite, who received honors for her volunteer work on behalf of low-income families, children and the elderly in the community; newsletter contributions and her work with area high school students in the Summer Scholars Program. Braithwaite will train in pediatrics at Tufts Medical Center in Massachusetts.
Michelle Hall received recognition for her diversity work with the Student National Medical Association (SNMA), in health literacy and health screenings in St. Louis, bone marrow registration drive with the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association and summer programs sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs. Hall will remain at SLU to train in family medicine.
Amber Hamilton earned honors for volunteer work with urban youth, as an Americorp volunteer; as a teacher assistant at Head Start; a tutor and mentor with the Urban Future and assisting troop meetings with Girl Scouts Beyond Bars, a troop for girls whose mothers are incarcerated. She will train in pediatrics at SLU.
Ophelia Langhorne was awarded for volunteer work at the student-run Health Resource Center, with the HIV task force in area juvenile detention centers and work and leadership of the SNMA.
Langhorne is headed to New Orleans to train in obstetrics and gynecology at Louisiana State University School of Medicine.
Victor Liou was recognized for his multimedia work at the HRC, his work with ReSpectacle, which matches recycled eyeglasses with prescriptions of patients in need, as well as a disparities project that was published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine. Liou will train in ophthalmology at the Medical School of Wisconsin.
Arielle Randolph was honored for leadership roles in the SNMA; as cofounder of the Mental Health Awareness Coalition at a local high school; her work in a primary care clinic on Hainan Island and as a member of the admissions committee for the medical school. Randolph will train in pediatrics at Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California.
Vishal Shah was awarded for volunteer work for CHIPs at homeless outreach events; her work at the HRC’; global health learning and care in El Salvador and research of congenital Chagas disease Camiri, Bolivia. Shah will train for internal medicine at New York University’s School of Medicine.
Matthew Starr received recognition for work to educate medical students regarding patient safety and quality improvement by starting an Institute for HealthCare Improvement open school interest group. He was also involved with the HRC and other community service projects. Starr will train for ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Railey said, “All of them are contributors and they are going to graduate and go out and hopefully continue to do things that improve diversity and improve excellence. That’s why we name them in the Gladney Award because they represent what his career represented.”
