The Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics is committed to fostering a culture of inclusivity, equity, and respect for all of our staff, learners and faculty. We recognize the strength that diversity brings and believe that a broad range of perspectives enhances the quality of patient care, research, and education. We embrace our differences, and strive to empower diverse representation in our staff, students, residents, fellows and faculty. We actively seek to create an environment where everyone—regardless of their identities and background – race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, living with a disability, socioeconomic background, religion and other identities—feels valued, supported, and empowered to contribute. We acknowledge the pervasive and persistent historical and systemic barriers to equity in healthcare, education and medicine, and remain committed to addressing these through proactive policies, equitable recruitment practices, ongoing education and purposeful resource allocation. Guided by the principles of Equity & Fairness, Diversity & Representation, Inclusion & Belonging, Courage & Humility, and Learning & Listening, we work intentionally to address disparities in patient outcomes and reduce discrimination and harassment in the workplace environment, particularly where hierarchies exist. We acknowledge that this work is complex, multidimensional and requires sustained efforts, and will consciously encourage open dialogue, active listening, accountability, and inclusive policies to create an environment of trust and respect.
Our activities include:
- Creating engaging learning opportunities on topics relevant to equity and cultural safety in health care and medicine for our trainees, staff and faculty;
- Providing educational and administrative resources for Department members related to EDI, ensuring they remain updated, accessible, and responsive to evolving needs;
- Ensure practices and initiatives align with the UBC Faculty of Medicine EDI strategy and are prioritized and operationalized;
- Conducting active and ongoing review of Departmental policies, promotion and recruitment practices with an equity lens, identifying and addressing systemic barriers, measuring metrics of success and ensuring accountability;
- Supporting the mentorship of our members, particularly those from underrepresented groups in medicine;
- Committing departmental resources, including funding, time, and dedicated leadership roles, to support EDI-related initiatives and sustain continuous improvement in this work.