We embarked on a journey of self-discovery and growth more than a decade ago, when we conducted a faculty survey that revealed the need to improve faculty mentoring and elements of our work culture. At the same time, we recognized the need for greater diversity within our department to reflect the growing numbers of women and underrepresented minorities entering the field of medicine.
Since then, we have committed to creating a work environment in which everyone is valued and supported. We have made great strides in providing faculty leadership and mentorship opportunities, setting expectations for behavior, and also fully participating in an institution-wide diversity and inclusion training program. An organic outcome of this process has been to increase diversity and to become more inclusive in the operating room and other work settings.
According to a report by the Association of American Medical Colleges, medical students were almost evenly divided between men and women in 2016. The number of underrepresented minorities continues to increase steadily.
Our department actively recruits residents and faculty from diverse backgrounds. About 40 percent of last year’s class of general surgery residents were women, and the class overall was a diverse group. We have two women faculty with endowed chairs, and we recently promoted Associate Professors M.B. Majella Doyle, MD, MBA, and Mary Politi, PhD, to lead mentoring efforts and Professor Tiffany Osborn, MD, MPH, to guide leadership and behavioral excellence among faculty.
There are many things we can’t control, but among those we can are the work environment, training approaches and behavioral influences. Being open to others’ observations in the operating room, promoting leadership training and establishing zero tolerance for bad behavior creates not only a more inclusive environment, but also a safer one for patients.
We also aim for the fairest compensation possible, considering research success, clinical work and educational accomplishments.
This report reflects how our changing departmental culture has affected the makeup of the people who choose to build their careers here, and how that growing diversity is in turn shaping our future. Our growing diversity is a welcome change and a strength — a trend we hope will only increase.
Timothy Eberlein, MD
William K. Bixby Professor of Surgery
Chair, Department of Surgery Washington University School of Medicine
Director, Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center