Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We value diversity in each of our divisions and training programs and are aware of all aspects of human differences such as socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, language, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, geography, disability and age.

Diversity improves the educational experience, strengthens our team, makes us more effective problem solvers, and helps us take care of our patients from multi-cultural backgrounds.

It is our goal to create an environment that fosters belonging, respect, and value for all.

What does cultural competency mean?
Cultural competence is the ability to understand, communicate with and effectively interact with people across cultures. Cultural competence encompasses: 1) being aware of one's own world view; 2) developing positive attitudes towards cultural differences and 3) gaining knowledge of different cultural practices and world views.

Why is cultural competency training important?
Cultural competence enhances the ability of teams, team members and organizations to effectively create an environment that meets the social, cultural, and linguistic needs of everyone in the workplace. Cultural competence training methods can enhance transparency between language, values, beliefs, and cultural differences.  

What are the five elements of cultural competence:
The five building blocks of cultural competence include: open attitude, self-awareness, awareness of others, cultural knowledge, and cultural skills.

2020 Sessions:

June 23: How to elevate concerns of bias or inappropriate behavior: Ombudsperson, Deans GME & Graduate/Post docs, Academic Affairs, Human Resources

June 30: UP(by) stander training: Dr. Magali Fassiotto, Assistant Dean for Faculty Development and Diversity Stanford University School of Medicine. Watch.

July 7: Strategies to combat bias and increase diversity: Dr. Hannah Valentine, Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity at the United States National Institutes of Health. Watch.

July 27: Wellness Requires Racial Justice: Denise Pines, MBA, President of the Medical Board of California. Watch.

Every day, patients, physicians and staff are forced to contend with bias in the hospital environment. Although the negative effects of this exposure are increasingly recognized, how to combat it is not well established. Existing zero-tolerance harassment policies often focus more on punishment than education and are not always suited to address the nuances of the patient-doctor relationship or subtle instances of discrimination.

Our Cultural Complications Curriculum has been created to address this deficit. Designed to be presented during standard hospital Morbidity & Mortality conferences, the curriculum covers 12 core themes in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Each data-driven module introduces the audience to key terminology, provides scientific evidence for the concept, and offers sample cases to spur discussion. By leveraging a longitudinal approach that is already familiar to health care workers, we hope to better identify instances of cultural breakdown and establish best practices to address it.

Samuel L. Kountz Diversity Fellowship in General Surgery - Application Deadline is 5/15

Established in 2008, this fellowship provides a stipend for a senior underrepresented minority student to participate in a sub-internship with Stanford's Division of General Surgery. 

Stanford Clinical Opportunity for Residency Experience (SCORE)

SCORE brings fourth-year medical students from diverse backgrounds to Stanford for a four-week residential clinical training program in one of our clinical departments.