Sponsored by: American Association for Dental, Oral, & Craniofacial Research (AADOCR)
The ADEA President’s Symposium on Men of Color in the Health Professions will be held on Sunday, March 20, 2022, from 1:00 − 4:00 p.m. at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, with a reception following. The symposium is an interprofessional initiative to engage members within the academic health professions, governmental agencies and health professions associations in conversations to increase the number of underrepresented men of color―African American/Black, American Indian and Alaska Native, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander―in health care. Historically, men of color throughout our nation have been disparately impacted by systemic racism, biased institutions, health inequities and structural inequities that continue to manifest in contemporary ways, particularly educational outcomes.
The symposium focuses on collaborative efforts and effective practices to address challenges and overcome barriers to the successful recruitment, retention and thriving of men of color in the academic health professions. It brings together academicians, health care professionals, educators, practitioners, experts, advocates and other leaders with the goal of examining and developing student pathways and leadership, mentoring, economic, educational and social justice solutions that effectively empower a generation of men of color to enter the health professions and thrive. Interactive in its format, participants will contribute to creating a comprehensive academic health professions framework that expands existing efforts to increase the number of underrepresented men of color in the health professions. Additionally, attendees will examine for transferability strategies and lessons learned by the health professions, postsecondary institutions, K-12 and other organizations.
This initial convening of the ADEA President’s Symposium on Men of Color will focus primarily on dentistry and medicine with the goal of expanding the conversation to other health professions. However, we encourage participation by and invite representatives from all academic health professions.
ADEA is proud to host this timely discussion and lead this advocacy work on behalf of our students, faculty, staff, residents, fellows, health care professionals and other stakeholders.
Learning Objectives:
Review assets and barriers that influence the experiences of men of color on the health professions pathway.
Identify key environmental and systemic factors that influence the learning experiences of men of color.
Delineate the role that race and gender socialization have on the learning experiences of men of color in the health professions.
Recognize how societal factors systematically inhibit the sense of belonging of men of color who are underrepresented in the health professions.
Propose strategies faculty can use to foster student success for men of color from an equity-minded perspective.
.jpg "Sonya Gyjuan Smith, Ed.D., J.D. photo")