What is Social Mission?
The social mission of a health professions school is the contribution of the school in its mission, programs, and the performance of its graduates, faculty and leadership in advancing health equity and addressing the health disparities of the society in which it exists.
Learn more about our values, mission, and team
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Social Mission Alliance
Social mission is a national movement, focused on health equity and training health professionals as agents of more equitable health care. This movement takes us beyond centuries-old conventions in health professions education to train providers prepared to build a system that is not only better, but fairer. The social mission movement started with a 2012 conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that brought national attention to medical schools with strong social mission commitment, created a forum for collaboration and shared innovations, and legitimized the important role of health professions education in addressing social inequities. Over the past decade, our movement has expanded to include educators, practitioners, administrators, and students from many health professions, along with community leaders and policymakers, who are transforming health professions education. We are now Social Mission Alliance.
The future of SMA
Our commitment to advancing social mission begins by acknowledging the history of workforce and training inequities within medicine and beyond. As Social Mission Alliance continues to evolve, so do the needs of our allies and accomplices. A new identity reflects our look to the future.
Our Vision
We aspire to health professions education in which social mission is present, prominent, and valued to drive health equity and improved health for individuals, families, and communities.
Our Mission
The Social Mission Alliance aims to elevate social mission in health professions education by mobilizing and amplifying learners, teachers, community leaders, policymakers, and their organizations to advance equity in education, research, service, policy, and practice.
Explore the Alliance
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> Our History
The social mission movement ignited during a 2012 conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that brought national attention to medical schools with strong social mission commitment, created a forum for collaboration and shared innovations, and legitimized the important role of medical education in addressing social inequities. We are now the Social Mission Alliance.
> The SMA Community
Led by passionate experts in the fields of health equity, activism, and civic policy, our growing network only strengthens the work we do, and the mission we pursue, as part of our administration, events, and mission-driven research.
Social Mission Alliance: Core Concepts and Principles
Ways in which we will pursue our vision and achieve our mission are:
- Promote a culture of accountability in health professions education that values health equity
- Raise public consciousness about social mission
- Impact future leaders’ understanding and commitment to social mission
- Create social mission standards and metrics to augment mission awareness at multiple levels
- Serve as repository for strategies that advance social mission
- Support pathways to assure a diverse workforce including leadership
- Engage similar and diverse perspectives
- Be regionally relevant
- Advocate, Question, Disrupt
