Our Initiatives

Create performance standards and metrics for teaching and compensation strategies that incentivize education

• Team to mediate discussions for repairing relationships: Alternative to SRS process
• Caring Project: Consult operating room staff after complications or significant life issues
• Peer groups, open to all, exploring ways to enhance opportunities and remove barriers for early- to mid-career women: 
  • Listen about issues Duke Surgery women face at work and brainstorm possible solutions
• Civility Champions: Available for support on a daily basis across Duke Surgery when people need assistance
• Movement Project: Operation Room based, interventions when musculoskeletal issues arise for trainees, attendings, and staff 
• Supporting increased lactation options for nursing mothers
• Preliminary resident support group: A new formalized support system for preliminary surgical residents

• Continuing annual commitment to and foster leadership in affinity groups and national organizations, supporting resident and faculty development
• Society of Black Academic Surgeons (SBAS)
• Association of Out Surgeons and Allies (AOSA)
• Latino Surgical Society (LSS)
• Association of Women Surgeons (AWS)
• Society of Asian Academic Surgeons (SAAS)

Community outreach engagement strategies with national organizations.

• Continue and expand commitment to broadening support for medical students, pre-med students, and residents through engagement with national organizations:
  • Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association
  • Association of Women Surgeons
  • Latino Medical Student Association
  • Student National Medical Association
• ASSET program: Annual participation with the Durham Nativity School

Rethink how we help our residents and faculty succeed, including formalizing mentorship teams, defining multiple tracks for engagement and promotion.

• Establish teams to provide longitudinal mentoring
• Pilot program for administrative support/staff assistant professional development 

Development of standardized and equitable recruitment processes for residents, faculty, and staff.

• Best Practices
  • Develop Value Proposition for new faculty coming to Duke Surgery
  • Build experiences favorable to recruiting—access affinity groups (local & national)
  • Long-term recruitment forecast—look 3-5 years in advance for needs
  • Partner with Communications—gear messages to fit recruitment goals, such as targeting people at end of residency/mid-fellowship period
  • Division chiefs establish a strategic recruitment plan for 3-5 years out, looking at future goals vs. short-term needs
• Implicit Bias training for all interviewers
  • Currently used at leadership level recruitment, but needs to spread to all departmental recruitment activities—faculty/residents/staff
• Include a broader range of people in recruitment decisions

• Consolidate and expand resources available for junior faculty research development 
• Evaluating process for recruiting participants in research trials, looking at demographics and diversity of participants
• Division of Surgical Oncology focused on recruitment of diverse participant population for trials
• Identify Patient Advocate to join Focus Area meetings to provide new perspectives