EDI Build a Pipeline Subcommittee reports progress
The University of Washington (UW) Department of Radiology works to create an inclusive and equitable environment for all trainees, faculty, and staff. We are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce, fostering a welcoming work environment, and ensuring that all recruitment and retention efforts highlight equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.
Our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee is comprised of faculty and staff who work on creating a more equitable and inclusive environment in our department. The EDI Committee has five subcommittees: Retention and Recruitment, Recognition, Education and Mentorship, Services and Scholarships, and Build a Pipeline.
The overarching goal of the Build a Pipeline Subcommittee is to promote early awareness and interest in Radiology, recruit under-represented minority (URM) youth to a career in medicine, and provide a framework for sustainable success. We offer immersion programs and demonstrations to expose URM students from high school, college, and health professional schools to radiology services and research.
This year, we have attended career fairs in Seattle and Tacoma-based schools, participated in the UW Medical School’s primarily student-run Doctor for a Day event at Rainier Valley Leadership Academy, and given an abbreviated radiology immersion experience to an Introduction to Healthcare class of high schoolers.
We have also increased interest in our upcoming summer Radiology Immersion Week program. Over 160 students from across the region have applied to participate, indicating success in our efforts to promote early awareness and interest in Radiology, recruit URM youth to a career in medicine, and provide a framework for sustainable success.
Students attending an Immersion Week will learn about radiology, anatomy, imaging with radiography, ultrasound, CT, MRI and nuclear imaging, as well as the different career paths within the field of radiology such as technologist, nurse, physicist, physician, physician assistant, informatic specialist, and administrator.