The USF Health Morsani College of Medicine recently earned recognition from the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society for their dedication to diversity and understanding in various patient populations.  The medical school was one of two medical schools in Florida to receive an Award for Excellence in Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in Medical Education and Patient Care.

The award recognizes medical schools, and their associated AOA chapters, that demonstrate exemplary leadership, innovation, and engagement in fostering an inclusive culture that transforms the ideas of inclusion, diversity and equity into successful programs that support student, staff and faculty diversity in service to the community.   Recipients receive $1,000 cash award to be used to further develop school- and/or chapter-wide programs to support the efforts toward inclusion of under-representation minority students.

MCOM’s recognition comes after creating a curricular thread integrated across all four years of medical school called Humanism in Action.  The curriculum teaches students the communication skills necessary to elicit the values of their patients and then integrate those values into the medical plan for patients.  Students’ understanding of their patients’ values and culture improves the students’ ability to respect and reflect their patients’ values and culture in the medical care they are providing.

MCOM will be officially recognized during the AOA biennial meeting sometime in 2021.