Remix Red Table Talk Focuses on Minority Underrepresentation in Health Care
| On Nov. 14, the Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DDEI) Chancellor’s Underrepresented Minority (URM) Student Recruitment, Retention and Engagement Subcommittee hosted its first “Remix Red Table Talk.” The event was held in the Bruce Commons area in the Daniel W. Rahn Interprofessional Education Building.
The committee gathered a panel of UAMS health care leaders to share their experiences with students from groups that are underrepresented in medicine and health care programs. Austin Porter, DrPH, MPH, public health program director in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, moderated the event. The panelists included Christina Clark, vice chancellor for institute support services; Jeffery Cook, Pharm.D., chief pharmacy officer; Carla Brown, assistant professor, College of Medicine, Peds Neonatology, and Dr. Theresa Flowers, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of Arkansas Little Rock. During the Remix Red Table Talk, lunch was provided and live music by Klassik Entertainment was enjoyed by all.
Topics that were discussed during the Remix Red Table Talk included:
- Time management
- The importance of networking
- Having the right mentor and sponsor
- Having the right tools
- Struggles with student work-life balance
The UAMS Underrepresented Minority Student Recruitment, Retention and Engagement Subcommittee is charged with seeking and examining recruitment, retention and engagement practices and how these factors affect – UAMS’ commitment to diversity and inclusion. The committee works to ensure that institutional awareness of outreach programs for community engagement and recruitment is met campuswide.
Co-chairs Kimberlyn Blann and Tyrun Haynie recognize that “It’s essential to invest in our future professional students across campus and provide a variety of expertise and resources to help them navigate and advance successfully through their education journey.”
The subcommittee plans to make the “Remix Red Table Talk” a semiannual event. The ultimate goal is to benefit students yearly throughout the entire campus.