The Mission of the Wayne State University School of Medicine

We will educate a diverse student body in an urban setting and within a culture of inclusion, through high quality education, clinical excellence, pioneering research, local investment in our community and innovative technology, to prepare physician and biomedical scientific leaders to achieve health and wellness for our society.

Since 1868, the Wayne State School of Medicine (WSUSOM) has prepared students to be health care leaders and advocates for change. Our dedication to urban clinical excellence and contribution to Detroit's revitalization is unwavering. Our community service roots run deep, and our focus on a healthier world grows ever stronger.

WSUSOM students, residents, and faculty are committed to working with health care systems and community partners to reduce health disparities and improve patients' lives. Through social responsiveness and a continuous focus on innovation in education, research and clinical care, WSUSOM continues to train a diverse group of physicians who will transform the promise of equal health for all into a reality. The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on minority populations has made the challenge of achieving greater health equity more critical than ever.

GME established a Health Disparities Canvas site to archive programs' curricula for implementing health equity training as a permanent component of residency education. In addition, in 2021 GME and its primary clinical partner, Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital, were selected to participate in the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers' (AIAMC) National Initiative VIII on Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI), based upon a demonstrated commitment to better understanding and improving justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in their clinical learning environments. In June 2023, GME and APRH were selected to participate in the National Initiative IX on the "Social and Moral Determinants of Health," which will conclude in the spring of 2025.

GME held its third its annual Diversity Symposium on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 from 6-7 pm as a virtual event. GME staff provided an introduction to Wayne State's sole-sponsored residency programs and discussed how the WSU Office of Graduate Medical Education works to serve WSU's historical mission to promote diversity and equity in an inclusive learning environment. Representatives from our residency programs detailed how their specific efforts serve that mission. 

For a recording of the 2024 Diversity Symposium, click here.

For more information on GME's DEI activities, contact Associate Dean/DIO Anne Messman.