School Notes: School of Medicine
September/October 2019

Inaugural Respect Retreat explores gender equity concerns

A daylong retreat dedicated to exploring issues and proposing solutions around the medical school’s culture and climate took place in the spring. Topics spanned a range of issues, including equity in compensation and resources, more opportunities for women and minorities in leadership, and transparency in the promotions process. “This is not meant to be a therapeutic exercise,” said Esther Choo, ’94, ’01MD, associate professor of emergency medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, a founder of TIME’S UP Healthcare, and one of the organizers of the event. “We want follow-up.” Choo worked with Darin Latimore, deputy dean for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, to plan the retreat. “We were enthusiastic about partnering with TIME’S UP Healthcare for this event because we felt this was a critical time to be having this conversation,” said Latimore.

Renovated library space unveiled

A ten-month renovation of the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library was completed in the spring. The reconditioning created spaces meant to foster learning and innovation, including a 125-seat classroom, eight 16-seat classrooms, four meeting rooms, 24 workstations, and lounge seating. These spaces will be the home for many of the classes that MD candidates take in their first 18 months at the medical school. The renovation reflects the medical school’s commitment to promote 
better ways of instructing students, says Richard Belitsky, Harold W. Jockers Associate Professor of Medical Education, associate professor of psychiatry, and deputy dean for education. “It is the kind of space that is flexible and can be adapted to new and evolving ways of teaching in the medical student curriculum,” he says. The construction project involved moving millions of volumes and finding creative architectural ways to replace the book stacks, some of which were supporting the ceiling.