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 ProjectConsult operating room staff after complications or significant life issues
  • Peer groups supporting early- to mid-career women: 
    • Listen about issues Duke Surgery women face at work and brainstorm possible solutions
  • Civility ChampionsAvailable 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 programAnnual 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

Join the Effort

Interested in shaping the culture of Duke Surgery for the better? Everyone in the Department (residents, faculty, staff) is invited to participate in making actionable plans to make Duke Surgery a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive place to train and work.