Recruiting and retaining a diverse group of residents is a core mission of the Department of Radiology’s residency program. Having a variety of backgrounds and viewpoints is integral to the growth of the program and the department.

According to Erin Gomez, program director of the diagnostic radiology and molecular imaging residencies, the residents themselves spearheaded the push for a greater focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the program.

One such resident is Kendrah Osei, residency DEI liaison.

In her role, Osei has spoken extensively with medical students at other institutions, including during residency fairs at Howard University and George Washington University. She has also been in talks with Howard University to provide medical students with access to further radiology opportunities.

“The hope is to connect medical students with opportunities ranging from mentorship to research,” she explained.

The residency program has started a targeted DEI Lecture Series focusing on diversity in the field. The series has welcomed the University of Wisconsin’s Anand Narayan, who offered a lecture on inclusion and equity in medical imaging, and the Mayo Clinic’s Justin Stowell, who spoke about imaging in gender affirming care.

Osei also organized the residency’s first URiM (underrepresented in medicine) visiting elective. The program, which welcomed its first participant in July 2024, aims to encourage medical students from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds to explore the field of diagnostic radiology through experiences at Johns Hopkins.

From exposure to various subspecialty services to the opportunity to meet and work with faculty and residents, the program provides financial support to cover expenses for travel, housing (which is provided by the program) and parking.

“This elective is incredibly meaningful,” Gomez explained, noting, “Medical students get to take a closer look at Johns Hopkins, and may even join us as future residents.”

Gomez praised Osei for her dedication to expanding DEI initiatives within the residency.

“Kendrah has done an amazing job settling into the role and making it her own,” she said.

For Gomez, the diversity already present in the department is invaluable, both for recruiting new residents and continuing to grow Johns Hopkins Radiology.

This notion has been backed up by research. In “Why and How to Increase Diversity in the Radiology Trainee Workforce,” published in the journal RadioGraphics in August 2022, the authors note, “It is well established that diverse teams are more innovative, adaptable, and effective at problem solving. Further, a diverse physician workforce is key to improving patient access and reducing health care disparities.”

“We are fortunate to have a department that is as diverse as it is,” Gomez said. “It makes the department and the experience richer here. There are so many folks who have found this amazing field.”

A quick poll of the department will confirm that. As Gomez noted, if you ask anyone what the best part of Johns Hopkins Radiology is, the answer is always the people.

“It takes a village to make a radiologist,” she concluded. “And we have a really amazing village here!”