Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
OUR MISSION
The UC San Diego Department of Neurological Surgery strives to advance justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) within all facets of the neurosurgical community through outreach, education, collaboration and mentorship. We are committed to increasing the number of healthcare professionals who are members of historically underrepresented groups as part of our mission of providing world-class patient care, advancing path-defining research and educating the neurosurgical leaders of the future.
Our JEDI Champions
Led by JEDI Officer Dr. Sharona Ben-Haim and JEDI Program Manager Samia Hamnache, our committee is comprised of faculty, residents and staff who are passionate about creating a more just and equitable future for our specialty.
National Leadership
Our faculty and residents are leaders in JEDI initiatives and research, with their work shaping national policies and best practices for our specialty. Dr. Sharona Ben-Haim is the current chair of Women in Neurosurgery (WINS), the world's first and largest organization dedicated to women neurosurgeons, and her extensive work on gender equality in neurosurgery led to national guideline changes in parental leave policies for our specialty. Many of our faculty and residents also engage in advocacy work at the national level to ensure their findings are implemented in a real-world setting.
Pathway Programs
Each summer we’re delighted to host undergraduate students from the UC San Diego MSTP Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program, designed for students who interested in pursuing an MD/PhD and are members of underrepresented groups in the health sciences. These students work with our faculty members to gain valuable neurosurgery research experience, and many are now pursuing careers in the health sciences.
Our faculty and residents also freqently speak at conferences and events for medical students who are members of underrepresented groups in neurosurgery, including the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) West regional conference and the UriM conference for pre-health undergraduate students.
Our team also connects with high school and middle school students to share more about life as a neurosurgeon. Several faculty members recently discussed their careers with students at the Ocean Discovery Institute, a City Heights-based nonprofit that creates learning experiences for young people traditionally excluded from science.
Inspiring Future Neurosurgeons
Each year Drs. Thomas Beaumont, Joseph Ciacci, Najla Kfoury-Beaumont and David Santiago-Dieppa welcome undergraduate students from the SURF program, an 8-week-long summer program designed for students who are interested in an MD/PhD and are members of groups that are underrepresented in health-related sciences.
Educating Our Team
We are committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels safe, respected and welcomed. As part of this commitment JEDI topics are embedded within our ongoing Grand Rounds curriculum, with talks attended by faculty, residents, APPs and staff members. A JEDI-focused paper is included in every meeting of our monthly resident journal club, with past topics including gender and racial equality in healthcare. All team members are encouraged to attend JEDI-focused events organized by the UC San Diego Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and as part of UC San Diego Health’s broader commitment to JEDI, all UC San Diego Health Sciences leaders undergo anti-racism training.
Mentorship
Mentorship is a core value of our residency program and major area of focus for our faculty, residents, APPs and staff.
Several of our faculty and residents participate in national and local mentoring initiatives, including the Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) National Mentorship Program; RISE (Residents In Solidarity with Emerging Leaders), a “near-peer” mentoring program that supports students who are members of underrepresented groups as they navigate the final years of medical school; and additional programs.
Internally we have a well-established resident-faculty mentorship program. Each incoming resident is matched to a faculty mentor with whom they meet at least once per quarter. As career and subspecialty interests evolve, residents have the ability to identify a new mentor or establish additional mentoring relationships.
Many faculty members also receive career support through the UC San Diego Health Sciences Center of Excellence Faculty Development Program, designed to improve the recruitment, retention and success of all faculty in academic medicine who are members of underrepresented groups.
The Power of Mentors
Mentor Dr. David Santiago-Dieppa and resident Dr. Alexander Tenorio stand outside the Center for the Future of Surgery.
Institutional Initiatives
Our team is committed to supporting and shaping broader JEDI initiatives launched by UC San Diego and UC San Diego Health Sciences. JEDI Program Manager and Administrative Operations Supervisor Samia Hamnache, MBA, is a member of the UC San Diego Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion’s EDI Advisory Council, which advises the Chancellor on diversity issues. In addition she serves on the UC San Diego PRIDE Campus and PRIDE Health committees and is chair-elect of the UC San Diego Staff Association’s Inclusion Committee. Dr. Alexander Khalessi is a founding member of UC San Diego's Health Sciences Center of Excellence Faculty Development Program, designed to improve the recruitment, retention and success of UC San Diego faculty in academic medicine who are members of underrepresented groups.
Faculty, residents, APPs and staff are encouraged to attend diversity talks, trainings and events held by UC San Diego Health and UC San Diego’s JEDI programs. Each year our team is delighted to join UC San Diego Health at the San Diego Pride Parade, one of the largest Prides in the nation, to celebrate our LGBTQIA+ colleagues and community members.
Additional UC San Diego resources include:
- Health Equity at UC San Diego Health
- Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
- Black Resource Center
- Cross Cultural Center
- Intertribal Resource Center
- LGBT Resource Center
- Raza Resource Centro
- Women's Center
- Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern Desi American Programs and Services
Institutional Leadership
JEDI Program Manager and Administrative Operations Supervisor Samia Hamnache, MBA, is a member of the UC San Diego Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion’s EDI Advisory Council, which advises the Chancellor on diversity issues, and several other JEDI-focused committees at UC San Diego.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, partnership ideas or other items for our JEDI committee, please contact JEDI Program Officer Samia Hamnache, MBA.