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Medical Scientist Training Program

Diversity Statement

Vanderbilt MSTP Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Statement1

The Vanderbilt University MSTP seeks to foster an environment where everyone is visible, valued, and validated. We strive for:

  • DIVERSITY: representation of all identities as a core mission of the program
  • BELONGING: community building so all individuals feel welcome
  • INCLUSION: involving diverse communities in decision-making that impacts the policies, procedures, and practices of the program to create an environment of belonging
  • ANTIRACISM: acting against all forms of racism including systemic racism and oppression of marginalized groups

Diverse voices bring diverse solutions to challenges in science, medicine, and society. We value social justice and human rights. At the Vanderbilt MSTP, we are committed and hold ourselves accountable for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice for all students, faculty, staff, and volunteers. We respect the inherent dignity, worth, and unique attributes of every person. To put into action our commitment to inclusive excellence, we strive to recruit, admit, hire, retain, promote, and support diverse and underrepresented2 groups of students and staff. We are committed to selecting diverse faculty to serve on our various committees and invited speakers’ events. We embrace the diversity that composes our community including, but not limited to, age, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, spiritual beliefs, socioeconomic and educational background, abilities, and political views. We affirm the inherent worth of each individual in order to protect, promote, and optimize the health and abilities of all people. In educating the next generation of leaders in health and healthcare (delivery, education, and discovery), we are accountable to training highly-educated, culturally-sensitive professionals who mirror the diverse and intersectional3 populations they serve.

1modified from the Vanderbilt School of Nursing Diversity statement, revised March 2021

2groups underrepresented in science and medicine as defined per NIH and AAMC

3complexity of the many ways we identify ourselves that form the core of how we think of ourselves or about others, and how the intersection of these identities affects the way we experience the world.

MSTP Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Council
Co-Chairs: Lourdes Estrada, PhD and Megan Williams, PhD
Current Student Members: Xavier Bledsoe (G5), Candace Grisham (G4), Jeewoo Kim (G3), Ansley Kunnath (G4), Allie Lake (G4), Matthew Loberg (G5), Kaitlin McKernan (G3), Casey Nichols (G1), Sarah Reed (G4), Jailyn Smith (G1), Kevin Zhang (G2)

 

Related Initiatives

For more information, please contact the Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Council Co-Chairs, Drs. Lourdes Estrada and Megan Williams at mdphd@vanderbilt.edu