Increasing Diversity Across Health Care Sectors: The Importance of Early Educational Intervention

Increasing Diversity Across Health Care Sectors: The Importance of Early Educational Intervention

This presentation will highlight some of the challenges and opportunities related to incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion for students in the health sciences. The significance of partnerships, including issues related to initiation, sustainability, and reciprocity will be a focus.

Speakers:

Sandra Bjelajac Mejia BScPhm, PharmD, MScCH HPTE, RPh is an Associate Professor - Teaching Stream at LDFP. Sandra has a long history of teaching, research, and service and has recently been nominated for the AFPC Award for Innovation in Education for her work to develop virtual pharmacy simulations which have been used within the LDFP's MTM2 course, within the PharmPath program, and also by the Ontario College of Pharmacists one of their online training programs. Her current research includes a project, co-led with Lachmi Singh, investigating the nature of K-12 and postsecondary partnerships to support underrepresented students' access to, and success in, health sciences.  

Lachmi Singh BA, LL.B, MEd, PhD is a distinguished academic and administrative leader with a rich portfolio of expertise spanning academic planning, quality assurance, equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), and legal education. She currently serves as the Director of Academic Programs, Planning, and Quality Assurance at the University of Toronto, where she provides strategic guidance on academic structures, governance, and innovation in compliance with provincial quality standards. Her research contributions include a current project, co-led with Sandra Bjelajac Mejia, related to supporting underrepresented students' access to health sciences education via partnerships between K-12 and postsecondary institutions.