Black Students / en With smiles and stoles, student-run event celebrates U of T's Black graduates /news/smiles-and-stoles-student-run-event-celebrates-u-t-s-black-graduates <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">With smiles and stoles, student-run event celebrates U of T's Black graduates</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/DSC02962-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=WHx7O-Oq 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/DSC02962-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=VICWI9ZN 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/DSC02962-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=mQvPemsD 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/DSC02962-crop.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=WHx7O-Oq" alt="&quot;&quot;"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2022-07-04T10:15:29-04:00" title="Monday, July 4, 2022 - 10:15" class="datetime">Mon, 07/04/2022 - 10:15</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Black graduates recognized one another's achievements at a student-led event held at Hart House following U of T's spring convocation ceremonies (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/our-community" hreflang="en">Our Community</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-grad" hreflang="en">Black Grad</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/graduate-stories" hreflang="en">Graduate Stories</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/alumni" hreflang="en">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-students" hreflang="en">Black Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/faculty-arts-science" hreflang="en">Faculty of Arts &amp; Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/hart-house" hreflang="en">Hart House</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-george" hreflang="en">St. George</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/st-michael-s-college" hreflang="en">St. Michael's College</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-mississauga" hreflang="en">U of T Mississauga</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/u-t-scarborough" hreflang="en">U of T Scarborough</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/undergraduate-students" hreflang="en">Undergraduate Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/victoria-university" hreflang="en">Victoria University</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/women-and-gender-studies" hreflang="en">Women and Gender Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>“Understand that your presence here, and what you achieved here, is monumental and that cannot be denied.”</p> <p>The words of&nbsp;<strong>Adriana Williams</strong>, president of the Ƶ's Black Students' Association (BSA), echoed&nbsp;through Hart House’s Great Hall, where dozens of Black U of T students who graduated earlier this spring gathered recently&nbsp;to celebrate their achievements.</p> <p>Students at U of T began <a href="/news/uoftgrad17-u-t-s-black-graduation-first-its-kind-canada">organizing Black Grad celebrations in 2017</a>&nbsp;and over the years the events have been held on the St. George and U of T Mississauga&nbsp;campuses, as well as <a href="/news/triumph-and-resilience-u-t-s-black-graduates-celebrated-virtual-black-grad-event">virtually&nbsp;during the pandemic</a>.</p> <p>The theme of this year's student-run celebration was&nbsp;“trials and tribulations.” It was meant to underscore&nbsp;challenges each student overcame to earn their degree – both as Black students and as students navigating university during a pandemic.</p> <p>The event itself marked a triumph over difficulties since it was the first in-person celebration in two years due to COVID-19.&nbsp;“I feel the biggest thing about this entire ceremony is it's a really good example of overcoming adversity, which is something our community does all the time,” Williams told <em>U of T News</em>.</p> <p>“Post-secondary was never created with people of colour – let alone Black people – at all,” said Williams, who graduated this spring with a degree in linguistics, history and African studies as a member of St. Michael's College.&nbsp;“I feel like the Black student experience in general is just very unique, so I think it's imperative that we highlight what we've done here.”</p> <p><em>U of T News</em> senior reporter and associate editor <strong>Geoffrey Vendeville</strong> captured the following images of this year’s event:</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="&quot;&quot;" src="/sites/default/files/DSC02579-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>Students greet each other and chat in a room at Hart House before entering the Great Hall.&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="&quot;&quot;" src="/sites/default/files/DSC02633-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p><strong>Ranie Ahmed</strong>, <strong>Marwa Al Waeal </strong>and&nbsp;<strong>D'Onna Alexander&nbsp;</strong>wait to enter the student-run celebration of Black graduates.</p> <p>Asked how she coped with difficulties over the past two years,<strong>&nbsp;</strong>Alexander (right), a psychology, sociology and women and gender studies student at U of T Scarborough, answered with a single word: “Community.”&nbsp;&nbsp;She added: “I feel like I wouldn't have been able to do it alone.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="&quot;&quot;" src="/sites/default/files/DSC02837-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>Graduate <strong>Isaiah Kidane</strong> walks off stage after being called&nbsp;for a moment of recognition.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="&quot;&quot;" src="/sites/default/files/rhonda-mcewan-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>Professor<strong> Rhonda McEwen</strong>, who recently began her term as president and vice-chancellor of Victoria University in the Ƶ, has attended every Black Grad since <a href="http://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/education/2017/06/19/university-of-toronto-gets-ready-for-first-ever-black-graduation-ceremony.html">the event's inception at U of T in 2017</a>.&nbsp;“There’s something about seeing each other in person and being surrounded by others who maybe had a similar experience to you,” she said.&nbsp;“For students who have been in the minority to feel a majority – and to feel surrounded by people who went through the same thing as you –&nbsp;is special.”</p> <p>At the event, McEwen draped stoles around students’ necks along with&nbsp;<strong>Betty Walters</strong>, a program adviser in the department of management at U of T Scarborough, and&nbsp;<strong>Marieme Lo</strong>, an associate professor of women and gender studies and African studies in the Faculty of Arts &amp; Science.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="&quot;&quot;" src="/sites/default/files/DSC02894-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>The event, which students watched in person and online, featured a keynote speech by <strong>Francis Atta</strong>, a social worker, motivational speaker and U of T alumnus,&nbsp;and performances by singers and U of T students <strong>Bijoux Mulali</strong>, <strong>Precious Umogbai</strong> and <strong>Petra Alfred</strong>.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span id="cke_bm_18886S" style="display: none;">&nbsp;</span><img class="migrated-asset" src="/sites/default/files/musa.jpg" alt></p> <p><em>(Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>Musa Hersi, nephew of graduate Ranie Ahmed, plays on a ramp outside Hart House.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="&quot;&quot;" src="/sites/default/files/DSC02908-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p><strong>Elvin Kaunda</strong>, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in architecture, and <strong>Massoma Kisob</strong>, who majored in global health, chat in the Hart House quad.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="&quot;&quot;" src="/sites/default/files/DSC02915-crop.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>This was the sixth year in a row that&nbsp;Black students across the university's three campuses hosted Black Graduation, <a href="https://reporter.mcgill.ca/black-grad-celebrates-accomplishment-and-resilience/">a tradition that got its start in the U.S. and&nbsp;appears to have caught on at other Canadian universities</a>.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="&quot;&quot;" src="/sites/default/files/DSC03145-crpo.jpg" style="width: 750px; height: 500px;"></p> <p><em>(Photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p><strong>Carae Henry </strong>(second from left) graduated from U of T Mississauga with a degree in criminology, sociology and gender studies.</p> <p>Her family – brother Daniel, mom Carol and dad Peter – celebrated two other graduations this summer. Daniel finished high school and her mom, <strong>Carol Henry</strong>, earned her PhD after earning an undergraduate degree at U of T in 1995.&nbsp;“It was wonderful to see,” Carol said of the event, “because certainly when I came here, I felt a little out of place. It's great to see that Carae has taken her place and the university is celebrating Black students.”</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Mon, 04 Jul 2022 14:15:29 +0000 geoff.vendeville 175420 at She was first in her family to attend university, today inspires others /news/she-was-first-her-family-attend-university-today-inspires-others <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">She was first in her family to attend university, today inspires others</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/lydia-suzie-uc.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=RWQsGPfV 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/lydia-suzie-uc.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=t3HVJJns 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/lydia-suzie-uc.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=mm-BOe__ 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/lydia-suzie-uc.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=RWQsGPfV" alt="Lydia and Suzie "> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>geoff.vendeville</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2018-04-12T16:41:37-04:00" title="Thursday, April 12, 2018 - 16:41" class="datetime">Thu, 04/12/2018 - 16:41</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">Lydia Gill (right) was the first in her family to go to university, an experience she shared with her high school friend Suzie Watson (left). They leaned on one another and supported each other until graduation (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/geoffrey-vendeville" hreflang="en">Geoffrey Vendeville</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-students" hreflang="en">Black Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/human-resources-equity" hreflang="en">Human Resources &amp; Equity</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/indigenous" hreflang="en">Indigenous</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-subheadline field--type-string-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Subheadline</div> <div class="field__item">Lydia Gill is U of T's new student recruitment officer for equity outreach and support</div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>By the time <strong>Lydia Gill</strong> got the hang of university, she was already on the cusp of graduation.&nbsp;</p> <p>It was a steep learning curve, at least initially, because she was the first in her immediate family to go to university. There was no one at home she could turn to for advice picking a major or writing a term paper.</p> <p>Among the 70,000 students on campus, there was one familiar face:&nbsp;her friend from high school <strong>Suzie Watson</strong>. The eldest of four kids, Watson was a first-generation student like Gill, and they leaned on&nbsp;each other while finding their way on campus. They commuted together from the suburbs, picked many of the same courses and pulled the occasional all-nighter in the library&nbsp;–&nbsp;all the way until convocation.</p> <p>“Neither of us knew what we were doing,” Gill recalls.&nbsp;“We linked arms and tried to make it through.”&nbsp;</p> <p>Six years after they did just that – and succeeded in graduating&nbsp;–&nbsp;Gill is back at U of T in an administrative role that she wishes had existed in her student days. She's the new student recruitment officer for equity outreach and support, a role that entails helping under-represented groups, including Black and Indigenous students, get to university.&nbsp;</p> <p>She not only greets high-school students and their parents on campus – she goes to their communities.&nbsp;She visits high schools in the Greater Toronto Area, makes connections with school counsellors and community groups with the goal of helping students learn the ropes of university before they arrive.</p> <p>Even while she was a U of T student juggling essays and other assignments, Gill had already been thinking about how to improve the Black student experience.&nbsp;“Lydia and I often spoke about making a difference,” Watson remembers.</p> <p>They were both members of the Black Students' Assocation, the largest group for self-identified Black students at U of T. One of the BSA's signature events is an annual conference at the downtown Toronto campus for high-school students, bringing&nbsp;students face-to-face with Black mentors in university and graduates. This year, the BSA is hosting its&nbsp;19th conference on May 2.</p> <p>When Gill volunteered at a BSA conference, she got lots of questions about her own time in university and what it was like:&nbsp;How hard is U of T? How do you write a 2,000-word essay? She didn't sugarcoat the answers.</p> <p>“You don't want to scare them, but you want to re-enforce that they're able to do this," she says.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Yes it's hard, yes it requires a lot of time management, but I'm here and I'm doing it,” she told them.</p> <p>In her first semesters at U of T, Gill wasn't comfortable asking for help.&nbsp;“That was probably my biggest fear, and that was one of the things that really held me back,” she says.&nbsp;</p> <p>But as she progressed from one semester to the next, her confidence grew. She found a sense of community in the BSA, became involved with the Caribbean Studies Students' Union (her family is from Barbados)&nbsp;and met inspiring professors like <strong>Alissa Trotz </strong>through courses in Caribbean studies.</p> <p><img alt class="media-image attr__typeof__foaf:Image img__fid__8032 img__view_mode__media_original attr__format__media_original" height="500" src="/sites/default/files/alissa-trotz.jpg" typeof="foaf:Image" width="750" loading="lazy"><br> <em>Gill says she was inspired by her courses in Caribbean studies, including one taught by Associate Professor Alissa Trotz, above (photo by Geoffrey Vendeville)</em></p> <p>Eventually she learned she wasn't the only U of T student who sometimes felt lost.&nbsp;“Everyone's trying to figure it out,” she recalls.</p> <p>She and Watson were inseparable on campus, but during graduation, their convocation ceremonies were on different days. Watson wasn't about to miss her friend's graduation.&nbsp;</p> <p>“It was so important for me to be there because she had sacrificed so much for me,” Watson says, adding that Gill would drive far to pick her up to study together.&nbsp;</p> <p>Watson sat in the rafters&nbsp;of Convocation Hall to watch Gill cross the stage and receive her bachelor of arts. Even in a hall big enough for 1,700 people, Gill could hear her friend screaming her name.&nbsp;“My mom, my boyfriend, everyone was there clapping and cheering, but I could remember hearing her voice, and it was almost like this celebratory 'We made it' moment.&nbsp;I'll never forget it,” she says.&nbsp;</p> <p>In the years before coming back to U of T as an employee, Gill worked for Pathways to Education, a non-profit that started in the Regent Park neighbourhood of Toronto and expanded coast-to-coast to help students in low-income neighbourhoods graduate from high school and get a post-secondary education.</p> <p>Watson graduated with a degree in political science, Caribbean studies and history, and is working in marketing. They still talk every week.&nbsp;</p> <p>While she recognizes each student who comes to U of T is unique, she hopes that by&nbsp;sharing her story, she'll make a difference.</p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Thu, 12 Apr 2018 20:41:37 +0000 geoff.vendeville 132622 at U of T launches Black Student Application Program to strengthen diversity in medical school /news/u-t-launches-black-student-application-program-strengthen-diversity-medical-school <span class="field field--name-title field--type-string field--label-hidden">U of T launches Black Student Application Program to strengthen diversity in medical school</span> <div class="field field--name-field-featured-picture field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="eager" srcset="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-08-medicine-black-students.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=g1a8zR8D 370w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_740/public/2017-03-08-medicine-black-students.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=7ZY8KDn_ 740w, /sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_1110/public/2017-03-08-medicine-black-students.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=i4ULUcVG 1110w" sizes="(min-width:1200px) 1110px, (max-width: 1199px) 80vw, (max-width: 767px) 90vw, (max-width: 575px) 95vw" width="740" height="494" src="/sites/default/files/styles/news_banner_370/public/2017-03-08-medicine-black-students.jpg?h=afdc3185&amp;itok=g1a8zR8D" alt="photo of Yezarni Wynn and Chika Oriuwa"> </div> <span class="field field--name-uid field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden"><span>ullahnor</span></span> <span class="field field--name-created field--type-created field--label-hidden"><time datetime="2017-03-08T16:48:06-05:00" title="Wednesday, March 8, 2017 - 16:48" class="datetime">Wed, 03/08/2017 - 16:48</time> </span> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-field-cutline-long field--type-text-long field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Cutline</div> <div class="field__item">First year medical students from left to right, Yezarni Wynn and Chika Oriuwa (photo by Dan Haves) </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-reporters field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/authors-reporters/andrea-concil" hreflang="en">Andrea Concil</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-author-legacy field--type-string field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Author legacy</div> <div class="field__item">Andrea Concil</div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-topic field--type-entity-reference field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">Topic</div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/topics/city-culture" hreflang="en">City &amp; Culture</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-story-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/medicine" hreflang="en">Medicine</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/black-students" hreflang="en">Black Students</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news/tags/education" hreflang="en">Education</a></div> </div> <div class="clearfix text-formatted field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>The Ƶ is launching the first program of its kind in Canada to encourage more applications from black students. <a href="http://www.md.utoronto.ca/black-student-application-program">The Black Student Application Program (BSAP)</a>&nbsp;will be in place for the 2017-2018 MD program admissions cycle.&nbsp;</p> <p>“The current MD program student population reflects the fact that we aren't attracting many students from the black community. We want to change that,” says Dr. <strong>Patricia Houston</strong>, vice dean, MD program for U of T's Faculty of Medicine.&nbsp;</p> <p>The black population in the GTA makes up approximately 8.5 per cent of the population, according to the 2011 census, yet it's a community that's under-represented in medical school.</p> <h3><a href="http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/how-a-toronto-university-aims-to-attract-more-black-med-school-applicants-1.3322429">Read more at CTV News</a></h3> <p>“By implementing BSAP, we hope to break down some of the barriers that might impede black students from applying and nurture an inclusive environment that is welcoming to all,” says Dr. <strong>Lisa Robinson</strong>, chief diversity officer in Medicine. “Studies show that increased diversity of medical students provides students with unique learning opportunities and ultimately leads to better physicians with a greater ability and understanding of diverse communities.”&nbsp;</p> <p>U of T medical students train in a large network of academic and community-based hospitals, and health-care sites, which ensures that they are exposed to an extremely diverse patient population.</p> <p>“We are fortunate enough to live in one of the world’s most multi-cultural cities – we need to be prepared to care for the diverse population we’ll be serving as future physicians,” says <strong>Yezarni Wynn</strong>, first year medical student and class co-president. &nbsp;</p> <p>“Each medical student brings a wealth of different experiences with them to the class,” says <strong>Chika Oriuwa</strong>, a first year medical student. “We are constantly learning from each other – especially through small group learning activities. Having a medical school class that is diverse in many different ways introduces a dialogue that has the potential to shape the way we approach medicine.” &nbsp;</p> <p>Research shows that a more diverse physician workforce improves access to care for underserved communities and provides better health care to all patients, including minority communities that face unique health challenges.</p> <p>“Caring about a patient holistically means understanding how culture can impact health,” states Robinson. “We are not sacrificing excellence to achieve diversity. We are embracing diversity to achieve excellence.” &nbsp;</p> <p>How it works:</p> <ul> <li>BSAP is an optional application stream for black applicants who self-identify as Black African, Black Caribbean, Black North American, multi-racial students who have and identify with their black ancestry, etc.</li> <li>Applicants must meet the same admissions requirements (MCAT, GPA and course prerequisites) as applicants through the general application stream&nbsp;</li> <li>There will be no quota for the number of students admitted through BSAP</li> <li>Applicants will be required to include an essay that is BSAP specific as part of their non-academic requirements</li> <li>Applicant file review and interviews will include black physicians and/or community members</li> <li>The MD program Black Canadian Admissions Subcommittee (BCAS reporting to the Admissions Committee) will have oversight of the process</li> </ul> <p>“There is no single solution to fixing the problem of the under-representation of different racial and ethnic groups in medicine,” says Dr. <strong>Trevor Young</strong>, dean of the&nbsp;Faculty of Medicine. “We also don’t think our only challenge is to address the under-representation of black and Indigenous students in our program. Ensuring equity in medicine is a complex and long-term effort.”&nbsp;</p> <p>BSAP is one component of the Faculty of Medicine’s broader strategy to increase the number of black medical students attending the MD program. Other initiatives include the <a href="http://www.md.utoronto.ca/SMP">summer mentorship program</a> and <a href="http://www.md.utoronto.ca/community-support">community of support</a>, a collaborative initiative that provides students with black or Indigenous ancestry,&nbsp;as well as students that face economic disadvantage, with access to mentors, job-shadowing, volunteer and research opportunities, medical-school admission information and guidance. This highly successful initiative has seen steady growth in membership since its launch in 2015.&nbsp;</p> <p>“Our goal is to create a supportive community for black students that extends beyond the application process,” says Houston. “And fostering a sense of community is essential to the success of our students.” &nbsp;</p> <p>Once accepted, students will be supported through the <a href="http://www.md.utoronto.ca/OHPSA">Office of Health Professions Student Affairs</a> and through the recently created position of <a href="http://www.md.utoronto.ca/news/dr-onye-nnorom-works-advance-black-health-canada">MD Program Black Health Theme Lead</a>, which focuses on incorporating Black Canadian health issues into the medical curriculum for the entire medical class. The emphasis will be on offering mentorship opportunities and increased visibility of black physician role models. Medicine will offer continued support for student clubs and associations that promote a sense of community for black students, including the <a href="http://www.md.utoronto.ca/news/faces-u-t-medicine-black-medical-student-association">U of T Black Medical Students Association</a>.</p> <p>BSAP was developed in consultation with students, faculty, staff, members of the black community and black medical professionals.</p> <p><iframe allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="500" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZLN65mJL_H0" width="750"></iframe></p> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-home-page-banner field--type-boolean field--label-above"> <div class="field__label">News home page banner</div> <div class="field__item">Off</div> </div> Wed, 08 Mar 2017 21:48:06 +0000 ullahnor 105517 at