The following information is from an oral report given to the UPMC/University of Pittsburgh Physician Inclusion Council on 8/8/11 by William Simmons, MD, co-chair of the recruitment committee on the Inclusion Council and Visiting Clinical Associate Professor and Chair of the Advisory Committee on Diversity in the Department of Anesthesiology
The UPMC/University of Pittsburgh Physician Inclusion Council met on August 8th, 2011 with Drs. Jeannette E. South‐Paul and Joel S. Schuman as co‐ council chairpersons. There are four committees that report to the councils:
- Communication and Outreach Committee, chaired by Dr. Suman Golla
- Cultural Competency Committee chaired by Candi Castleberry-Singleton and Dr. Barbara Barnes
- Mentoring and Retention Committee, chaired by Drs. Chenits Pettigrew and Ora Weisz
- Recruitment Committee chaired by Drs. Anna Roman and William Simmons
The Inclusion Council efforts are aimed at recruitment and retention with an emphasis on improving the diversity of residents, fellows, and staff.
This letter shares a summary of the report that I gave regarding UPMC/University of Pittsburgh recruitment efforts. Members of the Recruitment Committee are: Marlene Cooper, Dennis Zerega, Drs. Anna Roman, Trevor Macpherson, Julie Price, Angela Garcia, & William Simmons. There are six initiatives that have been set in place to aid department recruiting efforts at the resident, fellow, and staff levels.
Job Fair for trailing Spouse/Partners
Many of the spouse/partners of our residents and fellows are highly educated themselves. Creating an environment where the spouse is fulfilled and assimilated into the Pittsburgh community will make recruitment easier if that graduating fellow or resident is one that the department is wanting to keep on staff. On July 22, 2011, the first trailing spouse/partner job fair was convened at UPMC. PNC, Mellon, PITT, American Eagle, Westinghouse and multiple other local employers were present at a private job fair for the spouses /partners of our incoming residents and fellows. This effort was viewed as a success by both vendors and participants. Photographs and comments of the attendees were collected and will be added to the relocation website with a date for next year’s event.
Adventures in Medicine Brochure
Dr. Anna Roman and UPMC Physician Services Division (PSD) are publishing a booklet for resident and fellows to assist them with the transition from training to practice. This multipage workbook will help provide
- Clues to the interviewing process.
- Deciding on academic verses private practice
- What are things you need to know about a practice
- How to analyze an offer
- How to compare and access a contract
- What are things that need to be in place before starting a new job
- Accessing benefits
This booklet will be available September 2011 in the GME office and distributed via PSD mailings and recruitment fairs.
Networking with “About Pittsburgh, Inc.”
UPMC has outsourced their resident and fellow networking parties to “About Pittsburgh, Inc.” The theme of this year’s series of networking activities is “Seasons of Pittsburgh”. All residents and fellows and their spouses/partner are welcome to any of these events (see “GME knows” for details).
In the planning, residents and fellows of color will have an opportunity for a meet and greet with established minority young Professional groups in Pittsburgh, like the Homer S. Brown Society, Black MBA Association, and Young Urban League Professional Group.
- July 26, 2011, 6‐8 pm, University Club Meet, Greet, and Eat!: Residents, fellows and their spouses/partners were able to mingle with others in the UPMC system. During this event, 50 tickets were given out so that residents and fellows could take their spouse/partner or have a date night at a performance at the Irish Cultural Theater.
- August 18 – 21, 2011 Weekend of Water: Take a bike ride, kayak, or whitewater raft, and more
- October 13 – 16th, 2011 – Fall Foliage Weekend: Fall Festival, Haunted House, visit an Orchard, and more
- January 19 – 22nd, 2012 – Let it snow Weekend: Tickets will be made available for residents and fellows and their spouse/partner or dates to take in a show at Heinz Hall, the Benedum, etc., to go out and see Pittsburgh for yourself.
- March 15 – 18th, 2012 – Taste of the 3 Rivers: Residents and fellows will have an opportunity to eat at some of the city’s dining hot spots in the fashion of “Taste of Pittsburgh”. Participating restaurants will allow them to come in and sample selected dishes.
Fall Recruitment Events
**please note certain departments, including Anesthesiology, are excluded from this effort**
Three events are scheduled this fall during recruitment season to enhance the interviewing experience for applicants to residency programs that have limited budgets to entertain. Candidates and their spouse of these specific residency programs (Anesthesiology not included) can meet with residents and other candidates in a social environment and enhance their appreciation of what Pittsburgh has to offer.
- Thursday, October 6th, 2011 – University Club meet, greet, & eat (football themed)
- Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 – event at the Warhol Museum
- Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 – event at the Carnegie Natural History Museum
Residents/Fellows Employment Opportunity Nights
Department heads, area practices, and CEOs of ring hospitals outside of Pittsburgh in Western Pennsylvania have requested to meet with graduating residents and fellows in primary care, emergency medicine, orthopedics, neurology and general surgery. This event is scheduled for two nights mid October and Mid November. In addition, employment opportunities at UPMC hospitals will be posted on the “GME knows” on the Graduate Medical Education website.
Re-establish the ‘Faculty Advocate Network’
Although this will probably be rolled out under a different name, a selected group of under‐represented minority faculty and residents will be available upon request to meet with incoming faculty/resident applicants of color. Having someone that may be from another department but of similar heritage or background to the applicant could impart valuable insights and allow the applicant to ask questions and explore issues that they would never ordinarily discuss.
These initiatives are an effort to change the culture and make the Pittsburgh experience friendlier and easier for residents, fellows and their families to assimilate into the community and think of Pittsburgh as a viable possibility to settle, live, and work in.