Lovest Alexander Jr., MHS, PA-C, is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion/Recruitment at the Duke Physician Assistant Program. He has recruited at HBCUs across the country to increase the diversity of PAs trained at Duke and worked to eliminate bias in PA admissions and education. Here, Mr. Alexander describes how he ensures students at HBCUs know that the Duke PA program is a realistic possibility for their education.
Kathryn Andolsek, MD, MPH, has held a variety of leadership roles in the Duke health system, including the director of the Duke Family Medicine Residency and the associate director of Duke Graduate Medical Education. She has spent her career advocating for greater representation of marginalized groups in Duke medical education programs. Here, Dr. Andolsek describes how she pushed Duke health departments to more actively consider representation of marginalized populations by making diversity a performance metric for residency programs.
Leonor Corsino, MD, MHS, hailing from the Dominican Republic, is a passionate physician-scientist committed to tackling healthcare disparities. Motivated by her father's battle with diabetes, she delved into endocrinology. At Duke University, she champions Latinx representation in medicine, leading initiatives and research on diabetes within Hispanic/Latino communities. Her patient-centered approach and visionary leadership epitomize her dedication to fostering a more inclusive and equitable healthcare landscape. In this clip, Corsino offers a fresh perspective on addressing health disparities and promoting health equity, drawing from her extensive experience in health equity research. She emphasizes the importance of actively engaging with the community to truly understand their needs and challenges.
Dr. Brenda Armstrong was a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Associate Dean of Admissions for the Duke University School of Medicine. During this tenure, Dr. Armstrong recruited the most diverse classes in the school’s history. This interview with Dr. Delbert Wigfall, one of Dr. Armstrong’s friends and colleagues at the School of Medicine, covers topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education. In this clip, Dr. Wigfall discusses Dr. Armstrong's role in changing the core values of the school.