Diversity and Inclusion

The General Psychiatry Residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill proudly serves a diverse population of patients and their families, including under-represented minorities, transgender youth, immigrants, and refugees from all over the world. We are committed to providing excellent care to all persons at each of our teaching locations. In addition, we recruit a diverse class of residents to our training program each year, and we respect and appreciate the distinct and unique qualities each individual brings to our residency family. In addition to efforts by the Psychiatry program, the Resident Diversity Initiative works to emphasize minority representation within UNC’s training programs and hospital system by promoting the recruitment and retention of qualified students, fellows, and faculty.

Our town leaders are dedicated to ensuring that Chapel Hill remains a wonderful place to live, work and learn, while the University and its leadership will make certain that our campus community will continue to be one that embraces all.

What We’re Doing: The Psychiatry Residency, in conjunction with the Psychiatry Department and School of Medicine, is actively working to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). We recognize these efforts are just a part of a longer, broader effort to work on these issues throughout medicine and society that will take time to fully accomplish. Our start to this process includes:

• Inviting leaders in DEI  at our institution and throughout the country to deliver Grand Rounds, lectures, and presentations to the Department
• Holding small-group discussions for residents, faculty, and staff to discuss issues of DEI
• Engaging with students and residents from under-represented backgrounds in recruitment fairs and events
• Starting the FIRST program in Psychiatry, an accelerated track for UNC medical students with a desire to serve the underserved to fast-track into our residency 
• Connecting with other UNC institutions (e.g. Office of Inclusive Excellence) towards working together on diversity initiatives throughout the School of Medicine
• Building DEI and culturally competent care into our didactic curriculum

Who We Serve: The Psychiatry Residency shares the School of Medicine’s mission to serve all the people of the state of North Carolina, encompassing a wide range of socioeconomic class, language, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and health conditions. Towards this aim, our residents and faculty serve in a variety of settings with diverse patient populations, including:

• A Gender Equality Clinic for transgender and gender non-binary people with mental health concerns
  • https://www.med.unc.edu/psych/patient-care/child-adolescent/outpatient/gender-equality-psychiatry-clinic/
• El Futuro, a non-profit psychiatry clinic for Spanish-speaking individuals
  • https://elfuturo-nc.org/
• UNC SHAC Mental Health, a free clinic for those in the local community with limited resources
  • https://www.med.unc.edu/shac/services/clinics/medical/mental-health/#:~:text=If%20you%20would%20like%20to,be%20seen%20by%20mental%20health.
• Various Assertive Community Treatment teams throughout the state of North Carolina, serving those with the most severe, persistent mental illnesses and often among the least privileged and most vulnerable members of the community
• Community Clinics throughout undeserved town and cities across North Carolina

Moving Forward: We welcome and desire candidates who value and support diversity, equity, and inclusion. We see our residents as valuable allies in Department-wide efforts to promote DEI and are eager to hear how prospective residents can contribute towards these goals at UNC! Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Annual Diversity Report

 Karon Dawkins, M.D. Director, General Psychiatry Residency Training Program

  Winston Li, M.D. Associate Residency Training Director

UNC School of Medicine Selected as a 2022 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award Winner! The School of Medicine was recognized for its robust DEI infrastructure across campus, numerous efforts designed to provide education and training opportunities for the next generation of doctors, basic science researchers, health scientist, and rural initiatives that improve access to care for all North Carolinians.

As a recipient of the annual Health Professions HEED Award — a national honor recognizing U.S. health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion — the School of Medicine will be featured, along with 64 other recipients, in the December 2022 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.