The UCSF School of Medicine shows a commitment to community health and the larger social mission. The MD curriculum includes the “UCSF 49,” which are the most common diseases and syndromes in the Bay Area, and students are able to pursue clerkships in the community.
UCSF originated the structural competency curriculum, which trains health professions students to identify and address structural factors that impact health. The Bay Area Structural Competency Working Group offered over 100 trainings in the curriculum between 2015 and 2021. UCSF also launched the three year Anti-Oppression Curriculum initiative in July 2021 in an effort to incorporate antiracism and anti-oppression into all four years of the curriculum, including an anti-oppression charter and a dashboard showing progress. Students have received awards for their advocacy around anti-racism, human rights and LGBTQ+ rights. There are longitudinal support groups for students who are underrepresented in medicine.
UCSF also actively tracks its efforts to recruit and retain diverse faculty and students, comparing data to national and AAMC benchmarks. As of fall 2023, 46% of students were underrepresented in medicine (Black, Hispanic/Latine, Native American/Alaska Native, Pacific Islander) and 23% were first-generation. UCSF has developed best practices for leadership searches and appointments including reserving a certain proportion of spots on search committees, setting guidelines for advertising positions and developing selection criteria, and providing “micro-leadership” opportunities for faculty. All applicants for positions at UCSF are required to provide diversity statements.
In 2022, UCSF researcher Uta Landy received the Macy Award for Lifetime Achievement. Of the award, Landy said, “Receiving the recognition for Lifetime Achievement of the Macy Award by the BFA was a highlight of my career in Medical Education in Family Planning. It affirmed our shared core principles starting with the Flexner Report 100 years ago and now reimagined through the radical transformation of medical education to produce a workforce focused on Equity and Justice.”
