Diversity

MUSC Health & University Diversity Highlights 

 The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) ranks MUSC in the 97th percentile among medical schools with the most African American graduates

  • MUSC ranks in the 95th percentile for medical schools preparing physicians to care for patients of different backgrounds
  • MUSC College of Medicine has earned national recognition as one of the top ten medical colleges in the nation for the enrollment and graduation of Black males
  • MUSC spent nearly $52 million with small, women- and minority-owned businesses during construction on the MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital and Pearl Tourville Women’s Pavilion, with nearly $13 million associated with African American-owned businesses in phases 1 and 2 of construction.
  • We are proud to be the first hospital in South Carolina to ever participate in a summer feeding program “Kids Eat Free,” serving over 30,000 meals to children at risk of going hungry since 2015.
  • MUSC Health cares for the LGBTQ+ community: https://muschealth.org/medical-services/lgtbq-services

National Diversity Awards

  • For the past 6 years in a row (2017 – 2022), MUSC has received the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT in Diversity, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

  • For 2 years (2018, 2019), Forbes ranked MUSC as one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity, with MUSC #13 out of 500 organizations, and #3 out of 30 institutions in the education category.

The Dr. Sherron Jackson Grand Rounds on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Headshot of Dr. Sherron Jackson


Dr. Sherron Jackson, MD
MUSC Dept of Pediatrics
First African American Resident & Faculty Member
Expert in Sickle Cell Disease
Community Advocate
Leader in Medical Education
Active in DEI in COM

Past Speakers for DEI Grand Rounds:

2022 – Dr. Nicholas Shungu, Family Medicine at MUSC

Best Practices to Prevent Propagation of Racial Bias in the Medical Curriculum

2021 – Dr. Lee Savio Beers, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics     
DEI at the AAP: Our Journey

2020 – Dr. Maria Trent, Adolescent Medicine at John Hopkins   
The Impact of Racism on Child & Adolescent Health

2023 – Dr. Mileka Gilbert, Pediatric Rheumatology at MUSC


2024 - Dr. David Nichols, President and CEO, Emeritus at The American Board of Pediatrics
Equitable Care for Children Is Within Our Grasp

Pediatric Resident & Faculty Winners of the College of Medicine “Lift As You Climb” Diversity Mentorship Awards

  • 2023 Silvia Pereira-Smith, MD Developmental PediatricsLife As You Climb Diversity Mentorship Award Winner Dr. Pereira-Smith
  • 2021 Leah Broadhurst, MD Medicine/Pediatrics Resident
  • 2021 Bethany Carlos, MD, MPH Pediatrics Resident
  • 2021 Mileka Gilbert, MD, PhD Pediatric Rheumatology

Diverse Resident & Fellow Support

  • The Pediatrics Department hosts monthly “Dinner and Conversation” events for underrepresented in medicine and LGBTQ+ faculty, residents, and fellows for mentoring, networking, and social engagement to build community.
  • McClennan-Banks Residents & Fellows Networking Group: The organization is named for Dr. Alonzo C. McClennan and Nurse Anna DeCosta Banks, who were known for the operation of the first minority hospital in Charleston, with a purpose to enhance diversity within the College of Medicine and connect with the Greater Charleston community through service. The McClennan-Banks Residents and Fellows Networking Group provides opportunities for underrepresented in medicine (URiM) residents and fellows to network with MUSC URiM faculty and community physicians, and to serve as mentors for diverse medical students.
  • Resident Ambassadors: Underrepresented in medicine residents volunteer to serve as Resident Ambassadors for the College of Medicine. These resident physicians are available to answer questions of potential resident applicants and to share their experiences at MUSC. Interested individuals may contact them by email. 

 

We are very proud of the work of our faculty and residents as Champions of Diversity & Health Equity. 

Click link to see their work: Champions of Diversity & Health Equity pdf

Resident Opportunities in Diversity & Health Equity

Volunteer

In addition to our leadership many of our residents volunteer at: 

  • MUSC CARES Primary Care Clinic provides services for un/underinsured members of the Lowcountry community. CARES offers monthly specialty nights including Spanish-primary language night, Cardiovascular night, and a Pediatrics night focusing primarily on vaccinations.
  • Pediatrics Department DEI Committee serves to develop initiatives to carry out the diversity mission of the department.  We are very proud that our DEI Committee is very diverse with representatives from diverse racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ community, residents, fellows, departmental staff, junior faculty, senior faculty, and faculty in leadership positions. (DEI flyer 2023 pdf) 
  • Aequitas Health – MUSC is a founding chapter of the Health Equity Medical Honors Society. One MUSC resident is inducted annually. https://www.aequitashealth.org 

Clinical

  • Our University Pediatrics-Northwoods Clinic, boasts a bilingual staff and provides primary pediatric care for many of our families for whom Spanish is their primary language. This clinic is an elective option for residents and offers an opportunity to work closely with this underserved population.
  • The Pediatric Primary Care Resident Clinic serves patients and families from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and insurance backgrounds and has several initiatives to improve quality of care and health outcomes for all children in the community.

Research

  • The Center for Health Disparities Research, established in 2005, focuses on the key areas of health disparities, rural health and disease prevention with specific focus on chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer, mental health disorders, and stroke. All researchers in this area are members of the Department of Internal Medicine, which allows ample opportunity for resident engagement.

Telehealth

  • The MUSC Health Center for Telehealth is one of only two National Telehealth Centers of Excellence in the country and is also the headquarters of the South Carolina Telehealth Alliance (SCTA). Our telehealth services connect hospitals in low-access, rural and underserved areas in South Carolina with MUSC specialty services such as telestroke, teleICU, and palliative care. In addition, MUSC provides school-based telehealth services to more than 60 schools across the state.

To learn more about the Department of Pediatrics and our College of Medicine Diversity initiatives please visit: