Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
We are committed to the recruitment and retention of residents and faculty from populations underrepresented in medicine. By building a diverse resident community, we aim to build a mental health workforce that reflects and responds to the needs of our city, county, and state population. Los Angeles is a one-of-a-kind training grounds for resident physicians, and UCLA boasts an abundance of resources for those interested in cultural psychiatry and health-disparities.
Los Angeles County
Why UCLA?
UCLA Research & Advocacy Organizations
Publication & News
Los Angeles County
- Los Angeles County has the largest minority population in the country
- 72% of LA County residents self-identify as an ethnic minority
- World culture abounds, with ethnic enclaves ranging from Little Ethiopia to Japantown
- 56% of LA County residents speak a language other than English at home
- Primary languages include Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Korean, Armenian, Vietnamese, Farsi, Japanese, Russian, and more.
- LA County has a rich history of advocacy, coalition building and grass roots organizing for the promotion of intersectional justice.
Why UCLA?
- Join a diverse group of residents, faculty, and interdisciplinary staff committed to the promotion and cultivation of structurally competent, just, and informed mental health care, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religion
- There are opportunities to participate in cross-cultural outreach, research projects, and clinical endeavors
- Our clinical training involves a range of patients including the world’s wealthiest, veterans, children, the homeless, and other underserved populations.
- We have the opportunity to work closely with UCLA medical students and can be mentors for those underrepresented in medicine, while teaching all students cultural understanding and sensitivity.
- There are options to create your own schedule of electives geared towards underserved populations
- Unique opportunities at UCLA: transplant assessments, learning from some of country’s most qualified specialists, adolescent eating disorder patients, child and adolescent service, geriatric psychiatry service, Level 1 trauma center.
- We train at the Veteran’s Affairs Hospital, UCLA Harbor Psychiatric Emergency Room, and Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
UCLA Research & Advocacy Organizations
The following represent only a subset of UCLA research & advocacy organizations that focus on minority health and related issues:
- Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture
- The Center for Culture, Trauma, and Mental Health Disparities
- Semel Institute Global Center for Children and Families
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program
- UCLA Cultural Neuropsychology Initiative
- UCLA Center for Health Services and Society
Publication & News
- Making All Lives Matter in Medicine from the Inside Out – Dr. Michael Mensah, PGY2
- Residents Lead Drive to Include Structural Competency in Medical Training – Dr. Enrico Castillo, Associate Program Director & Dr. Nichole Goodsmith & Dr. Isabella Morton, Chief Residents of Community & Global Psychiatry
- Underrepresented in Medicine Recruitment: Rationale, Challenges, and Strategies for Increasing Diversity in Psychiatry Residency Programs – Dr. Joseph Pierre