Events

REDI’s Black Authors Book List

REDI’s Black Authors Book List
New Additions!

Celebrate the voices and stories of Black authors by exploring our curated book list. These works offer profound insights into the Black experience and its impact on history, culture, and society. Deepen your understanding of racial injustice and resilience, and join us in honoring the legacy of Black writers and their contributions to literature and beyond.


Building Networks for Lasting Impact: An Affinity Lunch for Indigenous & Black Staff, Faculty, & Clinical Faculty in the FoM (Feb 2025)

Room Change: This event will now take place in Room 9299.

Indigenous and Black staff, faculty and clinical faculty within the Faculty of Medicine are invited to an affinity lunch on Thursday, Feb 27th, 2025 from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm (PDT) at the Gordon & Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre (DHCC), Vancouver General Hospital, room 9299. This gathering, facilitated by REDI Equity Advisor Madison Tardif, offers a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue, exchange insights, and develop collaborative networks that can drive sustainable change. Connect with colleagues across the Faculty, share your valuable perspectives on future REDI initiatives, and strengthen professional relationships that foster both personal and professional growth. Come ready to inspire and be inspired, and leave with actionable ideas and expanded networks across the Faculty.

Building Networks for Lasting Impact: An Affinity Lunch for Indigenous & Black Staff, Faculty, & Clinical Faculty in the FoM (Feb 2025)

This event is specifically for Faculty of Medicine (FoM) staff, faculty and clinical Faculty who identify as Indigenous, Black, Afro-Indigenous, or of Afro-Caribbean descent. For more on the importance of dedicated spaces for IBPOC communities, read this article by Kelsey Blackwell. We appreciate your understanding and support. For questions or concerns, please contact REDI at redi.office@ubc.ca

Lunch and light refreshments will be provided.


Facilitator

Madison Tardif (She/Her/Hers), Equity Advisor,
Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI), Faculty of Medicine


Topic: Building Networks for Lasting Impact: An Affinity Lunch for Indigenous & Black Staff, Faculty, & Clinical Faculty in the FoM

Date: Thursday, Feb 27th, 2025

Time: 12:00 – 2:00 PM (PDT)

Location: Gordon & Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre (DHCC), room 9299, 2775 Laurel St, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9. View VGH Hospital map. Google maps location.

Audience: Faculty of Medicine (FoM) staff, faculty and clinical faculty who identify as Indigenous, Black, Afro-Indigenous, or of Afro-Caribbean descent.


What Will I Gain?

You will have the opportunity to connect with colleagues across the Faculty, be inspired, and leave with actionable ideas and expanded networks that empower sustainable change.


REDI Best Practices: Writing Inclusive Case Studies

Support learners and colleagues during Ramadan

Support learners and colleagues during Ramadan

Written by Catalina Parra

Many Muslim staff, learners and faculty will be observing Ramadan which entails fasting. Those taking part in Ramadan typically have two meals per day. One before the sun rises Suhoor, and iftar which is a fast-breaking evening meal.

As noted by Nour Youssef in an interview to the Ubyssey, “Ramadan gives me some much needed time to sit with myself and reflect on how I spend my time, and the things I value the most. By giving up things that usually seem so essential to us – food and water being the biggest – we are encouraged to replace the time we used to spend on these things with things that are more beneficial to our inner spiritual state. Things that make us better family members, better friends, better worshippers and better humans.” 


How to support friends/colleagues observing Ramadan?

  • Extend Ramadan greetings such as: Ramadan/Ramzan Mubarak or Ramadan Kareem. Arabic sayings that translate to blessed Ramadan and generous Ramadan. 
  • The end of the month is marked by the new moon and Eid- al – Fitr is celebrated in order to show gratitude for the previous month of reflection. Common greetings are Eid Mubarak and Eid Sa’id which translates to Blessed Eid and Happy Eid.
  • Do not be apologetic for eating in front of your friend/colleague while they are fasting. To be more inclusive, avoid organizing events focusing on food during this time of the year (e.g. “lunch and learns” or “coffee hours”).
  • If you supervise self-identified Muslim staff, be flexible and mindful when scheduling for time off, events and meetings.  Consider flex time options. 
  • During fasting, Muslims are not allowed to drink water. Be thoughtful of this when scheduling long presentations or meetings.  
  • Educate yourself and raise awareness in order to create a more inclusive working/learning environment.
  • Do not assume every Muslim is fasting. If one of your Muslim colleagues/friends is not fasting it might be due to illness, pregnancy, breastfeeding, amongst other reasons. Abstain from asking why.  
  • Do not treat fasting as suffering. Many Muslims look forward to Ramadan; it is a sacred and deeply personal practice. 

Ramadan Mubarak!


Sources


Women’s Memorial March (Feb 14): Honouring the lives of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Women's Memorial March (Feb 14): Honouring the lives of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Join the 34th annual Women’s Memorial March in Vancouver to honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people (MMIWG2S+). This is an opportunity to come together to grieve the loss of beloved sisters and relatives in the Downtown Eastside.

Women’s Memorial March in Vancouver

  • Date: Friday, February 14, 2025
    • 12:00pm public march
      • The march includes several stops to commemorate where women were last seen or found, with moments of quiet reflection and traditional medicine practices. 
  • Location: Main St and Hastings St, Vancouver

LEARN MORE.


Transportation from UBC is available for Indigenous students on a first-come, first-served basis. Register here. The bus leaves UBC at 11 am. For questions and additional information about the transportation, contact Cody, cody.bugler@ubc.ca. Please note that there will be no programming at the Longhouse.

Non-Indigenous members of the UBC community are welcome to join at the Learning Exchange downtown as a meeting point.

Weaving Relations for Meaningful and Genuine Change

Thank you for joining us on Wednesday, February 12th, 2025, from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM (PDT), for “Weaving Relations for Meaningful and Genuine Change.In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, we had a conversation with Dana-Lyn Mackenzie, a member of the Hwlitsum First Nation, lawyer, and Senior Manager, EDI & Indigeneity, at the Faculties of Applied Science and Land and Food Systems. Dana-Lyn is the recipient of two UBC President’s Staff Awards for Advancing Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence (2024) and for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion (2016). She was instrumental in creating the Intergenerational March to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day, the Weaving Relations course, and the Cascades of Change: Inclusive Leadership and Respectful Engagement program. In this conversation, we explored what it means to lead change in the processes of truth and reconciliation at UBC and beyond.


Speaker Bio

 Dana-Lyn Mackenzie

Dana-Lyn Mackenzie, JD;

Senior Manager, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity,
Faculties of Applied Science, Land and Food Systems & Forestry;
Elected Councilor – Hwlitsum First Nation
;
Recipient – 2024 President’s Staff Award for Advancing Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence ;
Recipient – 2016 President’s Staff Award for Advancing Diversity and Inclusion

Dana-Lyn (born Wilson) is a member of the Hwlitsum First Nation, based in Canoe Pass, BC, and a lawyer. Dana-Lyn is an elected councillor of her Coast Salish nation, serving since 2021. She has practiced criminal law and continues to practice administrative and employment law as an Associate at Acumen Law. She is a double alumna of UBC, having obtained her Bachelor of Arts and Juris Doctor degrees here. 

As Senior Manager, EDI & Indigeneity, Dana-Lyn is currently leading the decolonization and Indigenization efforts in the Faculties of Applied Science and Land and Food Systems. In this role, Dana-Lyn supports EDI.I education, engagement, and support for the two Faculties. Leading the impactful UBC Orange Shirt Day Intergenerational March for the past two years has been an honour. Recently, Dana-Lyn conceptualized and created the Weaving Relations course, an educational opportunity meeting Goal 2 of UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan. Dana-Lyn has been a speaker on numerous panels on Indigenous research, communities and ISP implementation. She currently sits on the Indigenous Working Group, co-chairs the ISP Community of Practice and advises frontline student services advisors on best practices in Indigenous student support.

Dana-Lyn has worked as a university administrator since 2012 in Indigenous awareness, programming and student affairs capacities. Dana-Lyn wore many hats in her previous roles, including offering student academic success programming, Indigenous student career support and alumni engagement, and participating in Indigenous student admissions. Dana-Lyn led Indigenous-focused programming during her tenure at the Peter A. Allard School of Law with UBC, where she was recognized in 2016 with the UBC President’s Staff Award on Advancing Diversity and Inclusion.

Lastly, Dana-Lyn has been a Board member of RESEAU-CMI, Networks of Centres of Excellence – Knowledge Mobilization, since December 2021. 

Dana-Lyn spends her spare time with her family, and being the mother of two amazing young adults is her proudest achievement.


Moderator

Derek Thompson

Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, Director, Indigenous Engagement


Description 

Written by Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun

Dana-Lyn Mackenzie has been methodically and strategically weaving together relations and nurturing connections between Faculty, staff and students in a concerted effort to strengthen the University of British Columbia’s overall commitments to truth and reconciliation. In 2024, she was the recipient of the President’s Staff Award for Advancing Anti-Racism and Inclusive Excellence having made significant contributions through education, advocacy, policy guidance, and the implementation of the Indigenous Strategic Plan within UBC. She is a staunch advocate for meaningful and genuine change, and has been leading the way for people to engage in an era of truth and reconciliation, while simultaneously creating momentum for individual and collective transformative shifts to help us do and be better.

Dana-Lyn has been instrumental in creating the Intergenerational March to Commemorate Orange Shirt Day, and equally active in creating the innovative and interactive program Weaving Relations, and key to the creation of Cascades of Change: Inclusive Leadership and Respectful Engagement. If she’s not busy effecting change within UBC, she’s committed to helping her fellow members of the Hwlitsum First Nation in advancing self-determination and wellness. She’s a formidable force of transformative change, inspiration, mindfulness, and compassion.

Please join me for this important and inspiring conversation with Dana-Lyn Mackenzie as she weaves us through the merits and principles of being involved, being active, being generous of our minds and hearts, and being genuine about our individual and shared determination to come to terms with the historic past to create a better and just future for Indigenous peoples.


Topic: Weaving Relations for Meaningful and Genuine Change

Date: Wednesday, February 12th, 2025

Time: 12:00 – 1:30 PM (PDT)


What Will I Learn?

You will gain a unique perspective on what it means to be involved in and to lead change in the processes of truth and reconciliation at UBC and beyond.


Continue Learning

“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”

Learn more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives here

Discover more about REDI’s Indigenous Initiatives Speakers Series here

Find REDI’s Indigenous-Specific Resources here

Research Voices from the Field with Saleem Razack

Research Voices from the Field with Saleem Razack

Research Voices from the Field is a new feature that showcases cutting-edge research that breaks barriers and promotes inclusion in medicine. Each edition spotlights a research publication and includes insights directly from the authors—revealing their motivations, the significance of their findings, and why the research matters for healthcare professionals everywhere.

In this first edition, Saleem Razack, Paediatric Intensivist, BC Children’s & REDI Senior Faculty Advisor, reflects on why he co-authored “Cutting Close to the Bone: Student Trauma, Free Speech, and Institutional Responsibility in Medical Education” and how it can be relevant to those in medicine, healthcare, and beyond.


Saleem Razack, Paediatric Intensivist, BC Children’s & REDI Senior Faculty Advisor, reflects on why he co-authored “Cutting Close to the Bone: Student Trauma, Free Speech, and Institutional Responsibility in Medical Education” and how it can be relevant to those in medicine, healthcare, and beyond.

I have been involved in issues related to equity, anti-racism, and inclusion in medical education for many years. Up to the point of my involvement in this article, my focus had primarily been on issues such as representation in medicine (Who is present? Who gets to undertake a medical education?) and the inclusiveness of the learning environment (Who experiences microaggressions? What constitutes an inclusive learning environment?). In this article, I began to turn more attention to the processes of teaching and the content being taught—what we might term the “formal curriculum.” This article started me on a journey that leads me to conclude that we, as medical educators, need to undertake a major effort to question the very knowledge systems of medicine for their inherent biases. There is also a strong need for the promotion of concepts such as white supremacy and racial inferiority, which I have written about in subsequent publications. While this article focuses on learners from underrepresented backgrounds, it could just as easily extend to patients and health outcomes.


Cutting Close to the Bone: Student Trauma, Free Speech, and Institutional Responsibility in Medical Education

Authors: Arno K KumagaiBrittani Jackson, and Saleem Razack

Abstract

Learning the societal roles and responsibilities of the physician may involve difficult, contentious conversations about topics such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and class, as well as violence, inequities, sexual assault, and child abuse. If not done well, these discussions may be deeply traumatizing to learners for whom these subjects “cut close to the bone.” Equally traumatizing is exposure to injustice and mistreatment, as well as to the sights, sounds, and smells of suffering and pain in the clinical years. This potential for iatrogenic educational trauma remains unaddressed, and medical educators must take responsibility for attending to it. Possible solutions include trigger warnings or statements given to students before an educational activity that may cause personal discomfort. The authors of this Perspective assert, however, both that this concept does not distinguish between psychological trauma and discomfort and that well-intentioned trigger warnings target the wrong goal-the avoidance of distress. Exposure to discomfort not only is unavoidable in the practice of medicine but may be crucial to personal and professional moral development. The authors argue that a more appropriate solution is to create safe spaces for dialogues about difficult topics and jarring experiences. This approach places even the notion of free speech under a critical lens-it is not an end in itself but a means to create a professional ethic dedicated to treating all individuals with excellence and justice. Ultimately, this approach aspires to create an inclusive curriculum sensitive to the realities of teaching and learning in increasingly diverse societies.


Have you’ve published or come across valuable research on the praxis of REDI in medicine? Share it today.

We especially welcome submissions of research articles that explore equity, diversity, inclusion, justice, decolonization, Indigenization, or trauma-informed practices in medicine and healthcare.

World Hijab Day

World Hijab Day

Contributed by the REDI team in collaboration with Dr. Neila Miled, DEI Director, PHSA

February 1st marks World Hijab Day, which serves as an opportunity to foster understanding, promote reflection, and celebrate the differentiated experiences of women who choose to wear the hijab. World Hijab Day prompts us to reflect on the challenges visibly Muslim women encounter and work towards creating environments that embrace diversity, eliminate bias, and foster equal opportunities for all. Being visibly Muslim in Canada, by choosing to wear the Hijab, can increase Muslim women’s “vulnerability to hate crimes, discrimination, and employment obstacles” (The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, 2023, pp.15-16). 

The “hijab” or the “veil” is a symbol of modesty, religious and cultural identity, and personal choice for millions of Muslim women around the world, including Canada. The Muslim veil has been central in the construction of Muslims and central to the heated debate around women’s rights and women’s agency. There is a dominant perception that has framed the hijab as a sign of oppression and confined visibly Muslim women into a homogenous portrayal as oppressed, submissive, powerless, and unable to belong to the Canadian context. This bias is common and has impacted veiled women in medical and health care contexts.  

Despite its deeply personal nature, healthcare professionals who choose to wear hijab can face unique challenges that extend beyond the professional sphere, affecting patient-doctor relationships and the learning experiences of future healthcare providers. According to Khan et al. (2022) in their CMAJ commentary titled “Dismantling Gendered Islamophobia in Medicine”: 

Visibly identifiable Muslim women in health care are often seen only in the light of a monolithic religious identity, while their intersectional identities — including their unique religious, ethnic and racial identities — are dismissed or erased… Discrimination also reduces the likelihood of job satisfaction, leading to providers who wear the hijab leaving their chosen field or not pursuing a career in medicine at all.9 (p. E748) 


Some of the challenges faced by Muslim health professionals wearing the hijab can include: 

1.     Microaggressions and Stereotyping: Muslim health care providers who wear the hijab may encounter microaggressions and stereotyping, perpetuating harmful assumptions about their abilities, qualifications, and dedication to their profession. 

2.     Limited Professional Opportunities and Exclusion: Some Muslim doctors may face challenges in career advancement, promotions, or job opportunities due to bias related to their religious attire. 

3.     Patient Misunderstanding: Patients may harbor misconceptions or biases about doctors who wear hijab, impacting the doctor-patient relationship and hindering effective communication. 


On February 1st, we hope you will take a moment to reflect on the challenges women encounter in healthcare settings and consider the role you can play in creating environments that embrace diversity. Your continued efforts to establish inclusive and respectful atmospheres can support individuals of different faiths and cultural backgrounds in bringing their authentic selves to the learning and work environments.


References 

Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights. (2023). Islamophobia and its impact on Canadians in Canada.

Khan, S., Eldoma, M., Malick, A., Najeeb, U., & Furqan, Z. (2022). Dismantling gendered Islamophobia in medicine. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 194(21), E748-E750. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.220445 

Patrick, K. (2021). Apology from CMAJ’s interim editor-in-chief on behalf of the CMAJ. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 193(51), E1935. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.81033 


Learn More  

Dismantling gendered Islamophobia in medicine 

Letter to the UBC Community: Islamophobia, racism, hate, and discrimination are not tolerated here 

More research needed into discrimination against Muslim women in Canadian health-care settings: report 

National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action Against Islamophobia

Inclusive Professionalism in Medicine

  • “As a professional, you need to stay neutral and not advocate.”
  • “Don’t show emotions in a professional environment.”
  • “Avoid wearing bright colours and dangling earrings if you want to look professional.”

Chances are you’ve been given advice like this at some point. As our working and learning environments become more diverse, it’s worth questioning which elements of “professionalism” are essential for competent and effective education and care, and which perpetuate gatekeeping, exclusion, and various forms of oppression. Watch a recording for our It Starts With Us session, held virtually on Wednesday, March 5, 2025, from 12:00–1:30 pm. In this session, we had a conversation with health professionals and educators examining the concept of professionalism. We explored which aspects still matter in today’s diverse environments, and whether professionalism can support fostering inclusive spaces where people can bring their whole, authentic selves to work or study. (See full description below).

The panel featured Laura Yvonne Bulk (Assistant Professor of Teaching, UBC Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy), Niresha Velmurugiah (Emergency Physician, Vancouver General Hospital, and Clinical Assistant Professor, UBC Department of Emergency Medicine), Robert Sternszus (Associate Professor, McGill Pediatrics & Health Sciences Education), and Saleem Razack (Paediatric Intensivist, BC Children’s Hospital & REDI Senior Faculty Advisor). It was co-moderated by Maï Yasué (REDI Associate Director) and Harpreet Ahuja (REDI Equity Advisor). 


Speaker bios

Laura Yvonne Bulk 

Laura Yvonne Bulk (She/Her), PhD, OT (Reg. BC), BSW,
Assistant Professor of Teaching, Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, UBC 

Dr. Laura Yvonne Bulk is a daughter, friend, cousin, tante; she is a Dutch settler to W̱SÁNEĆ territory; she is a first-generation university student, a disabled scholar, and an occupational therapy educator. She is an advocate and artist. As an Assistant Professor of Teaching in Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy at the new site located in Surrey, she has the opportunity to engage in educational leadership activities. Her work focuses on promoting justice (right relationship) in academia, interprofessional education, and in distributed health professions education. Her justice work includes taking a curious approach to how professionalism is conceptualized and challenging herself and others to consider how our conceptualizations might exclude particular people.

Niresha Velmurugiah

Niresha Velmurugiah (She/Her), FRCPC,
Emergency Physician, Vancouver General Hospital;
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, UBC;
Curriculum Lead, Student Professionalism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, UGME

Dr. Niresha Velmurugiah obtained her Doctor of Medicine and completed her residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Alberta. She works as an Emergency Physician at Vancouver General Hospital and UBC Hospital, and as a Clinical Assistant Professor with the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine. She has a background in health disparities and experience in medical education development in the area of EDI. She currently serves as the curriculum lead for Professionalism, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for Undergraduate Medical Education at UBC.

Robert Sternszus

Robert Sternszus (He/Him), MDCM, MA (Ed), FRCPC,
Associate Professor, Pediatrics & Health Sciences Education,
Wendy MacDonald Chair in Pediatric Medical Education, McGill University

Dr. Robert Sternszus, is a Hospitalist Pediatrician and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Health Sciences Education at McGill University with a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology. He has been intricately involved in Residency Education in Canada having served as a Pediatrics Residency Program Director and Competence Committee Chair at McGill University, a member of the Pediatrics Specialty Committee and the Residency Accreditation Committee of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and a Co-Chair of the Professional Role Expert Working Group for the ongoing CanMEDs project. Dr. Sternszus also currently holds the Wendy MacDonald Chair in Pediatric Medical Education in the Department of Pediatrics at McGill University and serves as the Professionalism Curriculm Lead for the Undergraduate Medical Education Curriculum at McGill University. His scholarship focuses on the areas of resident role modeling, professionalism, and professional identity formation. His current focus is on the interplays between competence and identity as well on supporting the development of agency, a sense of belonging and authentic professional identities in medical students and residents. Dr. Sternszus’ contributions to medical education have been recognized by the receipt of a Certificate of Merit from the Canadian Association of Medical Education in 2021 as well as the 2022 Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada Young Educator Award.

Dr. Saleem Razack

Saleem Razack (He/Him),
Paediatric Intensivist, BC Children’s & REDI Senior Faculty Advisor

Dr. Razack is a Senior Faculty Advisor in the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) in the Faculty of Medicine. In his role, Dr. Razack advises on strategy related to the implementation of a comprehensive anti-racism plan for the Faculty. He aims to serve in and contribute to the vibrant and diverse community within the Faculty of Medicine and its associated clinical and research sites.


Moderators

Maï Yasué

Maï Yasué (She/Her),
Associate Director, REDI

Dr. Maï is the Associate Director of the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) in the Faculty of Medicine. She provides leadership to the REDI team in the development and delivery of our education and training programming. She collaborates with leaders in departments, centres, and administration units, and staff, and faculty to identify institutional and individual barriers to inclusion and to foster long-term socio-cultural change towards justice, equity, decolonization, indigenization, and inclusion (JEDII). Previously, she worked at the Equity & Inclusion Office at UBC, where she led initiatives such as the JEDII STEM Series and the IBPOC STEM Network and supported the integration of the JEDII principles into teaching, research, and faculty and staff recruitment. Prior to her work at UBC, she was a faculty member at Quest University Canada for over a decade, teaching interdisciplinary courses in conservation and geography and advocating for transparency, equity, and inclusion through various leadership roles.

Maï, a second-generation immigrant from Japan, holds an MSc in Zoology from the University of Oxford and a PhD in Geography from the University of Victoria. As an interdisciplinary scholar, she has published over 40 articles in academic fields such as conservation, geography, zoology, education, behavioral ecology, economics, and psychology. She is grateful for having spent most of her life on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Stó:lō Nations.

Harpreet Ahuja (She/ Her),
Equity Advisor, REDI

Harpreet Ahuja (She/Her/Hers) is an Equity Advisor at the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) within the Faculty of Medicine. In her capacity at REDI, she offers strategic guidance and supports capacity-building for department heads, faculty, staff, and students who are dedicated to implementing decolonization, anti-racism, and inclusive practices.

Harpreet is the daughter of an immigrant father from India and a Labradorian Inuit-Polish mother. She was born and raised in Montreal studying in French, then spent her teenage years in downtown Toronto. Her culturally diverse upbringing ignited her curiosity and fueled her passion for social justice.

Her journey into Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) awareness began as a law student when she was nominated by the faculty of law to serve as the Vice President of Equity for the Common Law Student Society. She carried her EDI change management experience into her role as an Investigator in the Critical Injuries and Deaths Division with BC’s Office of the Representative for Children and Youth, where she worked to prevent the deaths of vulnerable children in government care.

Harpreet’s approach to embedding EDI is informed by an international context. She has worked on death penalty cases in Malawi, studied genocide education in Rwanda, and Holocaust education in Poland and Germany. She provided legal assistance to migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border and resettled LGBTQI+ Syrian refugees, working out of a satellite office in Israel. She wrote children’s books for schools in Honduras and taught English to university students in Ecuador. Most recently, in October 2022, she worked as an Electoral Observer for the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Harpreet is a lawyer by training, holding a law degree from the University of Ottawa (2017) and a Master of Laws degree in International and Comparative Law from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law (2019). During her time at UCLA, she was honoured with the Dean’s Tuition Fellowship Award, UCLA School of Law’s Public Interest Award, and a post-graduate fellowship at Yale Law School. Her legal career began with Legal Aid Ontario, where she gained experience in refugee law, aboriginal law, and criminal litigation. She was subsequently Called to the Bar in Ontario and British Columbia.

Prior to joining our team, Harpreet served at arms-length for BC Corrections in the Adult Custody Division, where she was appointed by the Assistant Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General as an independent decision-maker presiding over disciplinary hearings within the 10 provincial correctional centres in BC.

Harpreet acknowledges that she is on the stolen lands of the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish Nation), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation). She expresses gratitude to Indigenous Peoples for their enduring connection to their lands and is committed to learning how to work in solidarity as an accomplice in shifting the colonial default.ce and supports capacity-building for department heads, faculty, staff, and students who are dedicated to implementing decolonization, anti-racism, and inclusive practices.


Description

  • “As a professional, you need to stay neutral and not advocate.”
  • “Avoid wearing bright colours and dandling earrings if you want to look professional.”
  • “Don’t show emotions in a professional environment.”
  • “To adhere to standards of professionalism, you need to keep your political views to yourself.”
  • “I’d stick to a suit and dark colours to be taken seriously.”
  • “To maintain professional conduct, we should always stick to our agenda.”
  • “If you want to move up, choose carefully which parts of your identity you bring to work.”
  • “Make sure your kids don’t appear in the background on Zoom—it’s not professional.”
  • “You’ve got to look clean-shaven and professional.”
  • “As a professional, I prefer not to share much about my personal life.”

Chances are you’ve been given advice like this at some point. As our working and learning environments become more diverse, it’s worth questioning which elements of “professionalism” are essential for competent and effective education and care, and which perpetuate gatekeeping, exclusion, and various forms of oppression.

In this thought-provoking session, we bring together health professionals and educators to examine the concept of professionalism. We’ll ask what aspects still matter in today’s diverse environments, and whether professionalism can support fostering inclusive spaces where people can bring their whole, authentic selves to work or study. Or, should we move beyond the term “professionalism” altogether and consider other concepts that create thriving contexts for all learners, faculty, and staff?


Learning Objectives:

  • Define Inclusive Professionalism – Deepen your understanding of inclusive professionalism and how it differs from traditional notions of professionalism.
  • Identify how professionalism norms in academic and healthcare environments can exclude or disadvantage historically, systemically, and persistently marginalized groups.
  • Examine what should remain outside the boundaries of professionalism and how these boundaries should be determined.
  • Apply the principles of inclusive professionalism to foster a sense of belonging and inclusion among faculty, staff, leaders, learners, and patients.
  • Analyze the potential tensions between creating inclusive learning and working environments, advocacy, and authentically showing up in your various roles.

Topic: Inclusive Professionalism in Medicine

Date: Wednesday, March 5th, 2025

Time: 12:00 – 1:30 pm PT

Location: Livestream