D&I at the BU Medical Campus

Diversity & Inclusion at the BU Medical Campus

Home to the School of Medicine, School of Public Health, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, and Graduate Medical Sciences, Boston University’s Medical Campus has a rich history of forging opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and trainees regardless of ethnicity, religion, or identity. Our School of Medicine traces its progressive roots back to 1848 and the founding of the New England Female Medical College—later, our School of Medicine—the first US institution to offer medical instruction to women, including training the nation’s first Black woman physician. The University conferred degrees on the first Native American physician and Black psychiatrist as well, in 1890 and 1897, respectively. It’s long been clear to our medical community that diversity adds immeasurable value to intellectual development, academic discourse, and patient care and research, and is essential to the development of future leaders in healthcare. That clarity of vision persists today.

The Medical Campus, located in Boston’s historic South End, works closely with our host city. Many of our students and faculty practice at Boston Medical Center, the largest safety-net hospital and busiest trauma and emergency services center in New England. More than half of its patients are from underserved populations, including those who have lower income, are elderly, or whose primary language is something other than English. Our schools of dentistry and public health similarly cater to the well-being of all Bostonians, and we’re especially proud of our service to vulnerable and diverse communities, from developing outreach to people who are homeless to conducting the longest-running study in the country examining health issues among Black women.

Together, the health programs on our Medical Campus continuously strive for an inclusive and equitable culture by collaborating across departments in curriculum development, faculty recruitment and retention, and dedication to improving the education and experience students receive in delivering healthcare to an increasingly diverse patient population.