Dear Colleagues,

February is Black History Month. This month, and every month, we honor and celebrate the significant contributions Black Americans have made to the United States across fields such as the arts, culture, science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, health care, and space exploration, among others. We also acknowledge the sacrifices of Black Americans who have fought to defend the freedoms of the United States.

And just as Black History is American History, there is a long and rich history of Black achievement at Yale, as evidenced by the recently published library exhibit Shining Light on Truth: Early Black Students at Yale, the first comprehensive effort to identify Black students before 1940, their origins, and their legacy around the globe. These records include two dozen men who attended or graduated from YSM, dating back to the 1850s. You may also recognize the names of YSM’s first African American women graduates: Beatrix (McCleary) Hamburg ’48, an important researcher in child development, and Yvette Francis-McBarnette ’50 and Doris Wethers ’52 (pictured above), both renowned for their research on sickle cell anemia in newborns and children. The legacy of these pioneers is alive in our school — a vibrant environment for learning, discovery, and patient care.

Outreach and Recruitment

This month, we will send a delegation from Yale and Yale New Haven Hospital to the Howard University College of Medicine residency fair in Washington, D.C. Our delegation of residents and faculty will showcase the excellent graduate medical education training opportunities at Yale New Haven Hospital. Our faculty will also engage Howard medical students in mock interviews to help them prepare for the recruitment season.

Next month, we will send a similar delegation to share our undergraduate and graduate medical education training opportunities with medical students from all four medical schools in Puerto Rico.

Retention

Last month, the Office for Collaborative Excellence in Internal Medicine (OCEIM) held another 90-minute interactive session as part of the Partners in Collaborative Excellence (PaCE) initiative, led by Cayetana Navarro, OCEIM program manager. The session focused on strategies to improve dialogue among individuals with diverse views. Considerations for our upcoming session include a workshop on techniques to improve active listening and cultivating difficult conversations, among other topics. To learn more about the PaCE group, please contact Cayetana.

This month, OCEIM will host a retreat for all vice chiefs for collaborative excellence within the Department of Internal Medicine. We will participate in a workshop on cultivating difficult conversations led by Carli Gaughf, associate director of education and training. Our new Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine, Wolfram Goessling, MD, PhD, and Yale School of Medicine (YSM) Deputy Dean for Collaborative Excellence, Darin Latimore, MD, will meet with us during the retreat to support departmental and YSM-wide efforts to foster collaborative excellence and an inclusive community at Yale.

As a reminder, Christopher Sankey, MD, who is a certified health and well-being coach, is providing coaching services at no cost to staff and faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine. If you're interested in exploring coaching to support your career goals or address current work challenges, please contact Dr. Sankey.

Upcoming Talks

Our next EBE gathering is scheduled for February 16. Our guest speaker will be Lou Hart, MD, MBA, assistant professor of pediatrics (hospital medicine). He will discuss his professional journey and the health disparities faced by the communities we serve.

I am committed to supporting and expanding the culture and climate of Collaborative Excellence within the Department of Internal Medicine; please join me in this effort. Together, we strive. Together, we rise.

Respectfully Yours,

Benjamin Benjamin Mba, MBBS, MRCP (UK), CHCQM, FACP Professor of Medicine Vice Chair of Medicine for Collaborative Excellence Graduate Medical Education Director for Collaborative Excellence Associate Designated Institutional Official for Yale New Haven Hospital and Yale School of Medicine