[Diversity]

Diversity, equality, and inclusion are core values for the Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology and the Shiley Eye Institute at UC San Diego. We aim to promote a culture of equality across every segment of our workplace. Empowering all individuals and encouraging diverse representation will enhance our ability to serve our communities in the clinic locally and globally, perform groundbreaking research, and inspire teaching for the next generation of physicians and scientists in vision and eye care.

The Department has formed a Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Committee that includes: Sally Baxter, MD, Msc (Chair), Todd Coleman, PhD, Medi Eslani, MD, Henry Ferreyra, MD, Aida Haile, COT, Don Kikkawa, MD, Darren Knight, MD, Daniel Ozzello, MD, Adeleh Yarmohammadi, MD, Kaileen Yeh, MD, and Linda
Zangwill, PhD.

The Committee is working in conjunction with UC San Diego Health Sciences and School of Medicine as well as the UC San Diego campus to address systemic inequities. As part of this effort, they are engaging in a range of training programs and initiatives. They also have mentorship programs and outreach activities for trainees and staff from traditionally under-represented groups.

For many years, departmental faculty have supported the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring Program, which provides a dynamic mentoring program for underrepresented in medicine (URiM) students, including one-on-one mentorship, guidance in medical career planning, networking opportunities, and access to educational resources. Several faculty members are volunteer mentors in the program.

The Department participates in the UCSD MSTAR program which supports diverse medical students interested in vision science and ophthalmology research. This is a fully funded summer research experience for medical students between their first and second years of training. There is a wide array of ophthalmology faculty who serve as research mentors for this program. Students from traditionally underrepresented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

[Ferreyra-Baxter-Copado]

Diversity, equality, and inclusion are core values for our department. This committee is dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment for patients, employees, and trainees alike. We aim to promote a culture of equality across all segments of our workplace. Empowering all individuals and encouraging diverse representation will enhance our ability to serve our communities, perform groundbreaking research, and inspire teaching for the next generation of physicians and scientists in vision and eye care.