Diversity Statement

Diversity Statement

LMU-DCOM Diversity Statement

LMU-DCOM recognizes that fostering diversity among its students, faculty, staff and administration is essential to prepare outstanding health professionals and educators. Only by reflecting, embracing, and nurturing the varied traits, values and interests of the people across Appalachia and beyond can LMU- DCOM effectively train physicians to provide quality and compassionate health care for all.

Diversity, equity and inclusion are important concepts that govern how LMU-DCOM operates. Diversity involves embracing a wide range of varied backgrounds, identities, characteristics, experiences and perspectives. Equity involves fairness and justice in access, treatment and opportunity. Inclusion involves intentional, active participation and contribution by everyone. LMU-DCOM values and supports a community that is diverse in race, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, sexual identity, gender identity and expression, socioeconomic status, language, national origin, religious affiliation, spiritual practice, mental and physical ability/disability, physical characteristics, veteran status, political ideology, age and any other status protected by law in the recruitment and admission of students, recruitment and employment of employees, and in the operation of all its programs, activities, and services.

We acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of our history and are continually trying to cultivate a community that values diversity, challenges discrimination and injustices, and addresses disparities and inequities.

LMU-DCOM is committed to providing equal access to educational and employment opportunities. We strive to maintain an environment that is safe, civil, respectful, humane, and free of all forms of harassment and discrimination. LMU-DCOM pledges to train highly educated, culturally sensitive professionals who mirror the diverse populations they serve.

Revised May, 2022

LMU Non-Discrimination Policy

LMU-DCOM follows the non-discrimination policy set forth by Lincoln Memorial University. Access the policy.

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Student Groups/Clubs DEI Directory

Please select the club or association name to expand and learn more.
  •   Christian Medical and Dental Association

    Harrogate Chapter

    LMU-DCOM CMDA is a chapter of a national organization, Christian Medical & Dentist Association (CMDA). CMDA's mission statement is "Christian healthcare professionals glorify God by following Christ, serving with excellence and compassion, caring for all people, and advancing Biblical principles of healthcare within the Church and throughout the world."

    As a local chapter, we strive for these goals as well. We meet every week for a Bible study where we dive into scripture, pray for others, and simply enjoy fellowship with each other. Everyone is welcome to attend! If there are any questions, feel free to email anyone on the leadership team. Hope to see you.

    Contact: cmda@student.lmunet.edu

    Knoxville chapter

    CMDA provides resources, networking opportunities, education and a public voice for Christian healthcare professionals and students.

     

    Club Leadership
    Role Name Contact
    Co-President Breann Sanders Breann.Sanders@lmunet.edu
    Co-President Zachary Craig Zachary.Craig02@lmunet.edu

     

    Club/Association Contact
    Harrogate cmda@student.lmunet.edu
    Knoxville

     

    Social Media
    Instagram (Knoxville) @knoxville_cmda 
    Instagram (Harrogate)

     

     

  •   Latin Medical Student Association

    HOLA Logo

    The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) is a national non-profit organization that unites and empowers medical students to advocate for the Hispanic and Latino culture in medicine through service, mentorship, and education. Our chapter strives to further educate the growing diversity of medical students on how to effectively communicate and address health disparities in the LMU-DCOM and surrounding community. We are an inclusive organization for all to join and want to be an advocating force for Latinx medical students and community members.

    Club Leadership
    Role Name Contact
    President Rediat Ephrem 
    Vice President Cheyennae Barbee 
    Secretary Audrey Burnette 
    Treasurer Victoria Colon 
    Advisor Dr. Lori McGrew

     

    Club/Association Contact
    Harrogate
    Knoxville

     

    Social Media
    Instagram lmsa_dcom

     

    HOLA2HOLA3

     

  •   Muslim Student Association

    The Muslim Student Association is a national organization that enables students to learn and engage with the Muslim community. Here at Lincoln Memorial University, the club is open to all students no matter their religious affiliation. The club offers Muslim students a safe place to worship and promotes interfaith dialogue.

    Club Leadership
    Role Name Contact
    President
    Vice President
    Secretary
    Treasurer
    Advisor

     

    Club/Association Contact
    Harrogate Fawaz Ali
    Knoxville

     

    Social Media
    Instagram
  •   Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons

    DCOM Club SAMOPS Logo

    Student Association of Military Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (SAMOPS) is a nationally recognized organization focused on the recruitment and involvement of physicians with our military forces. Our goal is to enhance DCOM community relations with current medical students both military and non-military while simultaneously preparing members for careers in service to our troops.

    Club Leadership
    Role Name Contact
    President
    Vice President
    Secretary
    Treasurer
    Advisor

     

    Club/Association Contact
    Harrogate
    Knoxville

     

    Social Media
    Instagram

    SAMOPS2

     

  •   Social and Gender Equality Club

    SAGE logo

    SAGE stands for Social and Gender Equality! Our overall aim is to help encourage dialogue about topics relating to healthcare that may not be frequently discussed but are crucial to our success as physicians. Some topics of interest are LGBTQ+ healthcare, racial and ethnic equity in healthcare, social determinants of health, minority representation in health, mental health awareness, womxn’s rights in healthcare, inclusive language, cultural humility, and structural competency. 

    The goal of SAGE club at DCOM is to encourage medical students to be mindful and intentional throughout our daily experiences as well as in our futures as healthcare professionals. We aim to create an open and safe space for conversation and education on topics relating to the important social aspects of the healthcare industry, as well as an opportunity for students to share their own perspectives and experiences on these issues.

     

    Club Leadership
    Role Name Contact
    President
    Vice President
    Secretary
    Treasurer
    Advisor

     

    Club/Association Contact
    Harrogate
    Knoxville

     

    Social Media
    Instagram

    SAGE_2SAGE_3

  •   South Asian American Student Association

    South Asian American Student Association (SAAS) was founded to integrate South Asian diversity and culture into the medical community. Our goal is to provide a space not only for South Asian students, but for all students to enjoy South Asian culture and learn how to incorporate diversity and inclusion into their practices as future physicians.

    Club Leadership (Harrogate)
    Role Name Contact
    President Zain Baig
    Vice President
    Secretary
    Treasurer
    Advisor
    Club Leadership (Knoxville)
    Role Name Contact
    President Priya Patel priya.patel@lmunet.edu
    Vice President
    Secretary
    Treasurer
    Advisor

     

    Club/Association Contact
    Harrogate Zain Baig
    Knoxville priya.patel02@lmunet.edu

     

    Social Media
    Instagram (Harrogate) @dcomsaas
    Instagram (Knoxville) @dcomksaas

     

  •   Student National Medical Association

    SNMA logo

    Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is committed to supporting current and future underrepresented minority medical students, addressing the needs of underserved communities, and increasing the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent and socially conscious physicians.

    SNMA chapters based at allopathic and osteopathic medical schools throughout the nation, and some colleges, implement our programs and activities locally. SNMA programs are designed to serve the health needs of underserved communities and communities of color. In addition, SNMA is dedicated both to ensuring that medical education and services are culturally sensitive to the needs of diverse populations and to increasing the number of African-American, Latino, and other students of color entering and completing medical school.

     

     

     

    Club Leadership
    Role Name Contact
    President Emeka Andrews emeka.andrews@lmunet.edi
    Vice President Neami Tervil neami.tervil@lmunet.edu
    Secretary Cheyennae Barbee cheyennae.barbee@lmunet.edu
    Treasurer Chika Motanya chika.motanya@lmunet.edu
    Social Media Chair Carrie Ford carrie.ford@lmunet.edu

     

    Club/Association Contact
    Harrogate
    Knoxville

     

    Social Media
    Instagram @snmalmudcom_
  •   Women's Health Club

    Harrogate chapter

    The mission of the LMU-DCOM Women’s Health Club is to familiarize students with the opportunities in the field of women’s health. To provide fellowship among students who are interested in pursuing women’s health. To educate the students and community members about preventable women’s health diseases and to acknowledge post graduate education and research in the women’s health field. 

    President Shannon Dalton at shannon.dalton@lmunet.edu

    Instagram @dcom.whc - https://www.instagram.com/dcom.whc/

DEI Information

Select the topic or +/- to expand or collapse for more information.
  •   Sexual Orientation Terminology
    Ally: A person who confronts heterosexism, sexism, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and heterosexual privilege in themselves and others out of concern for the well-being of LGBTQIA+ people.

    Asexuality: Generally characterized by not feeling sexual attraction or a desire for partnered sexuality. Asexuality is distinct from celibacy, which is the deliberate abstention from sexual activity.

    Biphobia: fear or hatred of people who are bisexual, pansexual, or omnisexual.

    Bisexual: A person whose primary sexual and affectional orientation is toward people of the same and other genders, or towards people regardless of their gender.

    Coming Out: Refers to voluntarily making public one's sexual orientation and/or gender identity.

    Cisgender: The prefix cis- means "on this side of" or "not across." A term used to call attention to the privilege of people who are not transgender.

    Cross Dresser: A word to describe a person who dresses, at least partially, as a member of a gender other than their assigned sex; carries no implications of sexual orientation.

    Drag King: A person (often a woman) who appears as a man. Generally in reference to an act or performance. This has no implications regarding gender identity.

    Drag Queen: A person (often a man) who appears as a woman. Generally in reference to an act or performance. This has no implications regarding gender identity.

    Gay: A sexual orientation toward people of the same gender.

    Gender: A social construct used to classify a person as a man, woman, or some other identity. Fundamentally different from the sex one is assigned at birth; a set of social, psychological and emotional traits, often influenced by societal expectations

    Gender Expression: How one expresses oneself, in terms of dress, mannerisms and/or behaviors that society characterizes as "masculine" or "feminine."

    Genderqueer: A person whose gender identity and/or gender expression falls outside of the dominant societal norm for their assigned sex, is beyond genders, or is some combination of them.

    Heterosexism: The assumption that all people are or should be heterosexual. Heterosexism excludes the needs, concerns, and life experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer people while it gives advantages to heterosexual people. It is often a subtle form of oppression, which reinforces realities of silence and invisibility.

    Heterosexuality: A sexual orientation in which a person feels physically and emotionally attracted to people of a gender other than their own.

    Homophobia: The irrational hatred and fear of LGBTQIA+ people. Homophobia includes prejudice, discrimination, harassment, and acts of violence brought on by fear and hatred. It occurs on personal, institutional, and societal levels.

    Homosexual/Homosexuality: An outdated term to describe a sexual orientation in which a person feels physically and emotionally attracted to people of the same gender.

    Internalized homophobia: The fear and self-hate of one’s own LGBBTQIA identity, that occurs for many individuals who have learned negative ideas about LGBTQIA+ people throughout childhood. One form of internalized oppression is the acceptance of the myths and stereotypes applied to the oppressed group.

    Intersex: People who, without medical intervention, develop primary or secondary sex characteristics that do not fit “neatly” into society's definitions of male or female. Many visibly intersex people are mutilated in infancy and early childhood by doctors to make the individual’s sex characteristics conform to society’s idea of what normal bodies should look like. Intersex people are relatively common, although society's denial of their existence has allowed very little room for intersex issues to be discussed publicly.

    Lesbian: A woman whose primary sexual orientation is toward people of the same gender.

    LGBT: Abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender. An umbrella term used to refer to the community as a whole.

    Pansexual/Omnisexual: Terms used to describe people who have romantic, sexual or affectional desire for people of all genders and sexes.

    Nonbinary: A gender identity that embraces full universe of expressions and ways of being that resonate with an individual. It may be an active resistance to binary gender expectations and/or an intentional creation of new unbounded ideas of self within the world.

    Queer: This can include, but is not limited to, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and asexual people. This term has different meanings to different people. Some still find it offensive, while others reclaim it to encompass the broader sense of history of the gay rights movement. Can also be used as an umbrella term like LGBT, as in "the queer community."

    Sex: a categorization based on the appearance of the genitalia at birth.

    Sexuality: The components of a person that include their biological sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, sexual practices, etc.

    Sexual Orientation: An enduring emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction. Sexual orientation is fluid. Asexuality is also considered a sexual orientation (See above definition of asexuality)

    Transphobia: The fear or hatred of transgender people or people who do not meet society’s gender role expectations.

    Transgender: Used most often as an umbrella term, some commonly held definitions: 1. Someone whose gender identity or expression does not fit (dominant-group social constructs of) assigned birth sex and gender. 2. A gender outside of the man/woman binary. 3. Having no gender or multiple genders.

    Transsexual: A person who lives full-time in a gender different than their assigned birth sex and gender. Some pursue hormones and/or surgery while others do not. Sometimes used to specifically refer to trans people pursuing gender or sex confirmation.

    Transvestite: This is an outdated and problematic term due to its historical use as a diagnosis for medical/mental health disorders. Cross Dresser has replaced transvestite, see above definition.

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