The Division of Medical Genetics is committed to fostering an environment where all faculty, staff, and trainees are welcomed and supported. It is our goal to provide opportunities for people from historically under-represented groups to advance their careers and thrive in the field of genetic medicine. We believe that people with diverse backgrounds and identities bring invaluable perspectives to the workplace, and we are committed to recruiting diverse candidates for open positions, as well as elevating the voices of our faculty, staff, and trainees who come from under-represented groups.
We are dedicated to providing equitable opportunities for all people in the field of medical genetics. Racism, sexism, ableism, and other biases are obstacles to achieving our goal that must be addressed thoughtfully and deliberately. We recognize that racism is systemic in healthcare and higher education, and it is our responsibility to challenge the assumptions and unconscious biases that are holding these institutions back from the future that we envision.
We are committed to identifying, dismantling, and replacing racist behaviors, systems, and policies within ourselves and our programs. Our Genetic Counseling Graduate Program has taken steps to further our anti-racism goals by forming a Diversity, Anti-Racism and Equity (DARE) committee, by reducing bias in their holistic admissions process, by recruiting BIPOC applicants, and by developing and teaching curriculum that teaches students about diversity, anti-racism, and equity.
Our Division was founded in 1957 by Dr. Arno Motulsky, a Holocaust survivor, who was known for taking on women as trainees at a time when the field was heavily dominated by men. He treated his male and female trainees equitably, inspiring many female scientists to make important contributions in the field of medicine. Dr. Motulsky also recruited international faculty and trainees. Division Head Gail Jarvik reported that, “He made the same intellectual demands, invested the same amount of time and energy, and had the same expectations for success, regardless of gender, ancestry, or nationality.” We are proud to be building on Dr. Motulsky’s legacy as we train new generations of physicians, scientists, teachers, genetic counselors, and students.