Intersectionality at Case
Contributor(s): Mona Lisa Delva (’21), Garret Weskamp (’23), Lloyd Chen (’23), Maria Moncaliano (’23)
Contributor(s): Mona Lisa Delva (’21), Garret Weskamp (’23), Lloyd Chen (’23), Maria Moncaliano (’23)
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Preface
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First, welcome to Case Western School of Medicine (SOM)! We’re so happy that you’ve decided to join our family. This chapter of your handbook is dedicated to intersectionality at Case SOM. We understand that being an under-represented minority (URM) medical student is a multifaceted experience. Many of us come here with unique needs and experiences that are shaped by more than just our race and ethnicity. These include our language, gender identity, religion, cognitive and physical ability, sexual orientation, socio- economic status and more. As such, each experience is unique making “catch all” resources nearly impossible. As a URM student at Case SOM, you will find that you need reach out to multiple different groups to address your various needs.
Within this chapter, we’ve touched on the needs for women, LGBTQ+, religion, and disability. We hope that at least one of the resources below will resonate with you and help to smooth your transition here. This list isn’t exhaustive, but we look forward to expanding upon it in the future. |
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Women
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There is a lot of support for self-identified women at Case. First and foremost, for any personal health needs that you may have there is a dedicated Women’s Clinic on the 2nd floor of the Health Services Building on Adelbert. If you are also caring for newborn infants and need spaces to pump or breastfeed, there are numerous Campus Lactation Centers around campus. In fact, if you also go to the gym (regularly or irregularly ☺ ), 121 Gym on Adelbert offers free baby-sitting services so that you can enjoy your workout in peace. Servicing the general Case community, there is also a Women’s Center which serves as a safe space and resource center.
We’d also like to give a shout out to Society Deans Dr. Azok (Satcher), Dr. Greenfield (Geiger), and Dr. Larkins- Pettigrew (Robbins). Although you’ve been assigned to a specific Society, all the Deans function as a unit and Drs Azok, Greenfield, and Larkins-Pettigrew are always available to discuss more sensitive topics. Life happens (kids, changes in health, etc.), and they are there to help you through it. With regards to professional development, there are a number of student interest groups that can connect you with other like-minded students and potential mentors. Notably, these include local chapters for: American Medical Women's Association (AMWA), Association of Women Surgeons (AWS), and Medical Students for Choice. These student groups organize networking events (with both residents and attending) and can keep you up to date with regional and national opportunities. Having said that, we’ve found that it’s relatively easy to connect with physicians in the VA-UH-Metro-CCF network, and any physician you come across at events or in lecture are always happy to impart some wisdom. In addition to student groups, you’ll also find that there are number of internship/fellowship and scholarship opportunities specifically for visible minority women studying medicine, especially in underrepresented fields such as neurosurgery, orthopedics, urology, general surgery and radiology. Check out this 2014 article which delves further into specialty choices among MD graduates. Example pipeline programs include The Perry Initiative, Nth Dimensions, Examples of scholarships targeted to women include The Dr. LaToya Smith Memorial Medical School Scholarship, National Medical Fellowships, and many more. You’ll be getting A LOT of emails, but at the very least keep a look out for emails from SNMA/LMSA, Joseph Williams, Molly Gillahan, and Dr. Colleen Croniger to stay up to date. |
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LGBTQ+
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From the main LGBTQ+ Group on campus, Case Med PRIDE, we’d like to welcome all LGBTQ folks and allies to Case, and we’re writing now to provide a brief update on some of the opportunities we have to provide for incoming students.
If you’d like to get involved with our organization, reach out to Co-Presidents Garrett Weskamp ([email protected]) or Lloyd Chen ([email protected]) to be added to our Listserv. We host monthly general body meetings to discuss recent events and plan for future programming; your ideas and participation are highly encouraged, and we’d love to help make Case whatever you envision it to be in terms of LGBTQ+ affairs. Outside of general body meetings, feel free to join a committee (Social, Advocacy, Education, Research, and Networking) and participate in workstreams with other interested students. Our meetings are also a great time to get to know other LGBTQ+ and ally students, so stop by anytime! For personal needs and support, you’ll find that Case Western has a dedicated LGBTQA+ Graduate and Professional Student Association (QGrad), an LGBT Center, LGBT-friendly counseling, and specific policies about names changes and transgender health care through our Aetna student insurance. The LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland is also a great place to explore things outside of the School of Medicine such as Stonewall Sports Cleveland, a sports league for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies, and other annual events. At Case SOM, professional development and educational enrichment surrounding LGBTQ+ issues in medicine is facilitated a number of ways. Firstly, we have dedicated sessions in LGBT Healthcare during preclinical Foundations of Clinical Medicine (FCM) seminars. Additionally, Case Med PRIDE students restarted our zero- credit LGBT Health Elective for M2s, complete with lectures and shadowing experiences at all of the major hospitals: VA Transgender Clinic (GIVE Clinic), Metro PRIDE Clinic, Cleveland Clinic Center for LGBT Care, and more. If you’re a student in CCLCM, feel free to reach out to CCF Pride to learn more about resources within the LGBTQ network at CCF. Contact Gus Roversi for more information ([email protected]). There are a variety of ways to get involved in all things LGBTQ here in Cleveland and at our medical schools, and if you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, feel free to reach out to members of Case Med PRIDE; we’ll be happy to work towards making those ideas into reality. |
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Religion
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There are a number of organizations on campus that cater to the faith needs of all CWRU students. The over-arching community is led by the Interreligious Council (IRC), which operates out of The InterFaith Plaza, located on the right of the Church of the Covenant, 11205 Euclid Ave., and out of the Cleveland Hillel Foundation, located at 11291 Euclid Ave. Groups under the IRC banner include:
At Case SOM, we have a Christian Medical and Dental Association that have weekly fellowship. In addition, below is a list of mosques, temples, and churches that our CaseMed and SNMA/LMSA family have attended: |
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Temporary and Long-Term Disabilities, Illnesses, Injuries
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As a student, you are not required to disclose any disability information about yourself to anyone. However, Case SOM has Technical Standards that students will need to adhere to for admission, retention, promotion, and graduation. These Technical Standards are outlined in the Student Handbook, and are re-affirmed each year that you are here. Outside of these Technical Standard, Case SOM and The Office of ESS Disability Resources work together to provide special educational accommodations, auxiliary aids and/or services that you may need to succeed. Accommodations are available for a number of disabilities including visual impairment, hearing impairment, mobility limitations, chronic illness, psychological disorders and learning disabilities. Examples include:
For students who experience temporary conditions that impact your education, such as family planning, personal injury/illness, or family tragedy - the Society Deans are always there to advocate on your behalf. |
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Adverse Experiences Reporting
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Case Western Reserve University and the School of Medicine have zero tolerance when it comes to discrimination or harassment based on race, religion, age, sex, color, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, status as a disabled veteran or other protected veteran under US federal law, or socioeconomic status. This applies to interactions with your peers as well as your superiors/preceptors/facilitators. During any phase of your studies, this may take different forms. More obvious examples of mistreatment include public belittlement or humiliation, threats of physical harm or punishment, inappropriate requests to do personal services (shopping or babysitting), and sexual harassment. Not so obvious examples may include verbal or physical macroaggressions, microaggressions, or neglect. Whatever your case may be, there are a number of ways that you can address it.
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ODICE
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Diversity Initiatives and Community Engagement (ODICE)
by Mr. Joseph Williams Mr. Joseph Williams is the Director of the Office of Diversity Initiatives and Community Engagement (ODICE) at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. ODICE is an integral part of the Office of Student Affairs. The Office is tasked with leading the School of Medicine’s efforts to increase the number of underrepresented students (this includes, but is not limited to, racial, ethnic, LGBTQ and first year generation students), to provide support to those students and to engage all medical students in issues about diversity and inclusivity. He also serves as an advisor to the underrepresented students in the Physician Assistant program. Mr. Williams meets some of ODICE/s goals as a member of the Admissions Committee, providing diversity training for all faculty who facilitate our academic blocks. He is also a facilitator for Block 1 and for Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine. In his role as Director of ODICE, Mr. Williams is an advisor to the Student National Medical Association/Latino Medical Student Association (SNMA/LMSA), the Applied Medical Spanish Program, and the First General program. He is the director of the NIH funded Heart, Lung and Blood Summer Research Program, which supports summer research for twelve undergraduates and eight medical students each year. Additionally, he is an advisor to the NIH funded Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP), which supports recent college graduates who are interested in pursuing a doctorate in biomedical research. Mr. Williams is available to meet with or otherwise communicate with students who want to speak with him about academic or personal issues. |
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Zebra Hoofbeats
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Zebra Hoofbeats: The Interprofessional Newsletter
In Spring 2020 The Diversity Affairs Representatives for the Physician Assistant (PA) Program, School of Medicine University Program, and Lerner College of Medicine teamed up to expand the existing PA program Diversity Affairs Newsletter. The newsletter, Zebra Hoofbeats, aims to raise awareness of the different forms of diversity including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and disability. It is distributed to all current medical and PA students. Our chosen name and mascot (a rainbow zebra) is a nod to the phrase, "When you hear hoofbeats behind you, don't expect to see a zebra," coined by University of Maryland School of Medicine professor Theodore Woodward. It's a reminder to look for common diagnoses before rare ones. However, we like to use it as a reminder that we are all rare and different in our own ways, and we should celebrate these differences. Zebra Hoofbeats is released monthly and highlights important dates and holidays during that month that celebrate diversity. In addition, we include book recommendations, recipes, resources for wellness, education and advocacy, and featured articles written by student groups. Zebra Hoofbeats is an opportunity for students to stay up to date on national conversations about diversity and educate themselves on diverse topics. We are happy to include articles written by students or student groups to highlight diverse groups of people, advocate for change, or provide needed resources. To see our past editions please visit the CSR website. If you would like to contribute to Zebra Hoofbeats please email me at [email protected]. |