DEIB and Gender Equity Initiatives in Radiology
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)
Our mission is to employ a diverse community of faculty, learners, and staff that enriches our learning environment and helps provide better patient care. The mission of 博彩网站 Department of Radiology Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Committee is to create a healthy environment that cultivates unity, understanding, and collaboration among all so we can all reach our full potential.
About DEIB
The 博彩网站 Department of Radiology’s DEI & Belonging Committee strongly denounces the ongoing overt racist, discriminatory and violent acts towards individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, and religious groups and condemns all such acts towards people of all backgrounds. Discrimination and inequality that remain casually pervasive throughout our society are often harder to identify, but are just as damaging in their insidious nature.
We must intentionally strive for a more open, diverse, inclusive, and equitable healthcare environment for the future of medicine and Radiology. Proactive steps toward making inclusion and diversity an institutional aim will only serve to improve patient care. At the heart of it, this means learning about the legacy of privilege and racism in our own country, city and profession, accepting the discomfort of change, and truly listening. Really listening with an open mind to try to understand others and challenging ourselves to identify and actively work against our own biases are the only acceptable path forward.
DEIB Initiatives
International Medical Graduates from the reaches of globe participate in our American Board of Radiology Alternate Pathway to Certification. These outstanding individuals enrich our programs not only by bringing their unique talents as radiologists, but also by sharing their cultural perspectives with our faculty, trainees, staff, and patients and contributing to greater cultural diversity. Recent, current, and incoming trainees hail from places like Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, India, Japan, Kenya, and Nigeria. Learn more about our ABR Alternative Pathway to Certification program.
Three of our faculty are senior editors of Academy of Online Radiology Education (ACORE) which provides free, high-quality online radiology education. Although this project was just established in 2020, learners from all six continents already use this platform. Learning tools include monthly blogs summarizing the most relevant radiology articles in each subspecialty of radiology, webinars, and interesting cases. Our faculty serving as editors are Dr. Bronwyn Hamilton for the neuroradiology section and Dr. Alice Fung for the gastroenterology and genitourinary sections.
Dr. Chara Rydzak presented a special 博彩网站 Medical School Enrichment Course/Activity called “Global Health Radiology – An Introduction.” The activity used radiology images to teach global health concepts and convey radiology’s critical role in healthcare. The course touched on the lack of basic radiology services (and other health care) contributing to poorer outcomes in resource-poor regions both locally and globally. Participants also discussed strategies for increasing access in underserved populations and the far-reaching effects of poor global health.
Rad Young Portlanders is a community outreach program to develop young people’s interest and awareness of the radiological sciences, both as potential career opportunities and as relevance to the medical field. Faculty and trainee volunteers from the 博彩网站 Diagnostic Radiology and Interventional Radiology Departments have partnered with the healthcare track at Benson Polytechnic High School to provide recurring learning experiences that are embedded within the school’s medical systems-based curriculum. Experiences include case-based learning, gross pathological specimens, and biopsy simulation under ultrasound guidance.
Through the 博彩网站 - Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) Radiology Residency exchange program, 2-4 senior residents from 博彩网站 spend one month immersed in Thailand’s premier radiology residency program. During their month at Siriraj Hospital, 博彩网站 residents learn by reviewing cases alongside Siriraj’s radiology residents, during case read-out sessions with faculty, and through regular didactic conferences. But this educational experience reaches far beyond the workstation. Residents also learn about healthcare systems, approaches to medical education, and a culture that may be different than their own. In addition, Thai trainees have the opportunity to come to 博彩网站 to learn in the exchange program.
All 博彩网站 Diagnostic Radiology Faculty members and trainees underwent a 2-part Stepping-In for Respect Workshop over the Fall of 2022 through Spring 2023. The workshop is a bystander training program developed at the University of Virginia intended to support a culture of respect and inclusion. Through this workshop, attendees learned how to effectively respond to difficult encounters and ways to support others who may have experienced such situations. Attendees also learned of the various supportive resources that 博彩网站 offers and how to access them.
The Unconscious Bias Campus-wide Initiative is part of many ongoing efforts led by the Center for Diversity and Inclusion to remove barriers to individual and group success. Phase one of the initiative comprises a two-hour training for employees and the identification of ambassadors.
See what’s happening around the School of Medicine and visit the 博彩网站 SOM Diversity and Equity page and Gender Equity in Academic Health and Medicine page.
Resources and Community Engagement
Black and African American Provider Resource Guide
A resource guide to combat systemic racism within our county, city, state, and social services continuum of care.
博彩网站 Inclusive Language Guide
All of us are learning what it means to be more inclusive and equitable, and our language is important and ever-changing. This language guide clarifies terminology and explains why some terms are considered appropriate or inappropriate.
Gender Equity in Academic Radiology (GEAR)
The mission of the Gender Equity in Academic Radiology (GEAR) group is to advance goals of gender equity across Radiology, providing solidarity, camaraderie, and mentorship to women and gender diverse residents, fellows, and faculty and their allies within the Department of Radiology. GEAR programs are designed to enhance and support professional development and collaboration as well as broaden knowledge on how to achieve gender equity at all levels. Additionally, this group provides outreach to medical students in order to promote and increase consideration of radiology as a prospective specialty choice by women and gender diverse individuals, as well as engaging with the larger community on efforts to achieve gender equity goals.
About GEAR
Gender disparity has been and continues to be an issue in numerous specialties in medicine, but particularly within Radiology. At present, less than 25% of all diagnostic Radiologists in the United States are women. Additionally, less than 30% of current Radiology trainees are women despite the fact that nearly half of matriculating medical students identify as women. Consequently, it is clear that the problem of gender disparity will not imminently or spontaneously resolve. Intentional efforts must be made to change the status quo to improve gender equity in Radiology and medicine at large.
Within the Departments of Diagnostic Radiology and Interventional Radiology at 博彩网站, our goal is to eliminate gender disparities such that those identifying as women and gender diverse individuals have opportunities equal to that of their male colleagues at any level, have the voice and ability to speak up about inequalities, and the ability to advance their careers and assume leadership positions without bias. 博彩网站 Radiology regards the matter of inequality seriously.
Within the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, as of 2023, 44% of the faculty are women, which spans all ranks from assistant professor to full professor and including vice chair leadership roles. Three of the seven imaging section chiefs are women (42%). 14 of 32 (44%) of the diagnostic and interventional radiology residents are women, with representation throughout all post-graduate levels.
GEAR Initiatives
Gender Inclusive Care
博彩网站 faculty and trainees are dedicated to providing high quality and inclusive care for trans and gender diverse individuals. For example, imaging plays an important role in planning for gender affirming surgeries (see example image). Screening mammograms are also recommended for transfeminine patients who have been taking hormones for greater than 5 years and for transmasculine patients with history of reduction mammoplasty or no chest surgery. We aim to ensure that all patients feel welcome and cared for.
Advanced Fetal Imaging
The radiology department at 博彩网站 is committed to state-of-the-art imaging for pregnant patients in order for them to have choices for their reproductive health. We work closely with the Section of Family Planning as well as all providers taking care of all pregnant patients. We are the imaging experts embedded in the Fetal Care and the Fetal Surgery Program. Our goal is to provide timely advanced imaging for our patients throughout pregnancy.
Resources and Community Engagement
The American Association for Women in Radiology (AAWR) is an organization founded in 1981 to provide a forum for discussion on a national level. The mission of the AAWR is to sponsor programs that promote opportunities for women, facilitate networking amongst members and other professionals, and provide mentorship opportunities for the next generation of women radiologists. Many articles have been published addressing the gender inequalities in radiology. We recommend these articles:
- A Mentorship and Networking Group for Women in Radiology published by JACR in 2017
- Women in Radiology Leadership published by Applied Radiology in January 2020
- Women in pediatric radiology: a call for gender equity published in July 2022
- Gender Diversity in Academic Radiology Departments: Barriers and Best Practices to Optimizing Inclusion and Developing Women Leaders published by The Association of University Radiologists in 2018
The 博彩网站’s Women’s Imaging Section and the 博彩网站 Breast Center actively participate in community outreach, particularly in October during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. This involves community lectures, booths to disseminate information, and participation in the Susan G. Komen run.
博彩网站 Diagnostic Radiology participates in the American Heart Association Heart Walk annually. Heart disease and cardiovascular related issues are the leading cause of death for women in the United States and can affect women at any age. The CDC states, “Over 60 million women (44%) in the United States are living with some form of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States and can affect women at any age. In 2020, it was responsible for the deaths of 314,186 women—or about 1 in every 5 female deaths. Research has shown that only about half (56%) of US women recognize that heart disease is their number 1 killer."
Publications
Take a look at this insightful article recently published by our own colleagues in Academic Radiology Journal! This article highlights the successful launch of a dynamic, women-focused development program, designed to empower and elevate emerging leaders.
Launching a Women-Focused Faculty and Trainee Development Program | Brixey AG, Spalluto LB, DeWeese L. Launching a Women-Focused Faculty and Trainee Development Program. Acad Radiol. 2025 Apr 11:S1076-6332(25)00288-0. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2025.03.044. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40221286.
Upcoming Events
DEIB and GEAR host multiple events throughout the year. Each event serves a unique purpose while collectively advancing our shared mission of fostering gender equity and creating an inclusive, equitable environment for all.
Stay tuned for upcoming events!
Past Events
- American Heart Association Heart Walk | Tom McCall Waterfront Park | June 3, 2023
- Birdie Time Mini Golf | 925 SW Main St, Portland, Oregon | August 4, 2023
- Winter GEAR potluck & Welcome Party | Portland, Oregon | January 21, 2024
- GEAHM Leadership Conference | Portland, Oregon | February 6, 2024
- Pizza and Ponderings: GEAR book club | Late Winter 2024
- Educational speaker | March 15, 2024
- DEI&B and GEAR Faculty Lunch | May 30, 2024
- American Heart Association Heart Walk | Tom McCall Waterfront Park | June 1, 2024
- Pink and Pearl Campaign | CHH | October and November 2024
Additional examples of past events include:
- An invited speaker on a topic relevant to Women in Radiology
- A charity event in a social setting, benefitting a program for women in the community
- Medical student outreach event to rectify the gender disparity in radiology
- Informal social event (e.g. hiking, beach, bowling) for development of camaraderie
- Formal social event (e.g. dinner) to celebrate our accomplishments
- Holiday event
- Book club
- Community outreach (including talks and events at local schools on the topics of radiology, medicine, and STEM)
Members and Leadership
Leadership
Diagnostic Radiology and Physics Members: Faculty & Residents
Getting Involved
For more information and to get involved in the DEIB and GEAR group, please contact Chara Rydzak and Jaclyn Thiessen.