We recognize that achieving equity and diversity in surgery requires thoughtful, intentional, and sustained structural change. Access to surgical education has historically been limited for people of color, women, and LGBTQ folks. As a result, operating rooms across the country do not reflect the diversity of our community. While no single intervention, project or program can erase this history, we at UCLA are committed to the long, slow process of reconciling our past with our future.
Our Department is dedicated to the recruitment, promotion, and mentorship of people of color in General Surgery. To that end, we have established a skills lab for pre-medical students, a summer research scholarship for first year medical students from UIM backgrounds, and two sub-internship scholarships for senior medical students: one for UIM students and one for students from Historically Black Colleges.
The field of General Surgery is ready for new voices. At UCLA, we strive to cultivate an inclusive and equitable training environment for the diverse future leaders of surgery. We welcome all those who are dedicated to allyship and an intersectional approach to workforce diversity.
