Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee at the Department of Medicine

- Submitted by Dr. Nassrein Hussein, EDI Committee Chair

In the summer of this year the Department of Medicine Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee was initiated, with the inaugural meeting held July 6, 2020. The mission of this committee is to promote an environment of diversity and inclusion within the Department of Medicine, in line with the University of Saskatchewan’s Diversity and Inclusion Policy, using evidence-based initiatives to implement best practices.

The membership of the committee currently consists of Dr. Erika Penz, Dr. Rabia Shahid, Dr. Jonathan Dean, Dr. Shavran Nosib and myself. The plan is to continue to expand membership, with the goal of greater representation from under-represented groups in the Department, as well as eventual representation from across the province by 2022.

Currently the committee is working on a needs assessment survey which we expect to send out in the fall/winter of 2020 to all Department members, with the goal of informing the committee where the gaps in diversity exist within the Department of Medicine. A recommendations document will then be drafted and submitted to the Provincial Head of the Department of Medicine. Once accepted, the committee will begin to support the execution of those recommendations.

You can access the full terms of reference from the Department of Medicine website. We are excited to raise awareness and begin working on initiatives to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion in our Department. Please do reach out and send us your thoughts and ideas. My email address is nassrein.hussein@usask.ca.