Interns, postdocs, faculty, and Chaplain Brennan Francois (AU Health Chief Diversity
Officer) at the 2023 Annual DEIJ Seminar
Weekly Seminars: Interns spend Thursday mornings in a variety of seminars, each of which addresses issues of diversity and cultural humility specific to the seminar. In the Diagnostic/Treatment Seminar, faculty present cases in the “case-based learning” style also utilized within the medical school; in exploring these cases, interns are challenged to consider diversity and cultural factors implicated in assessment, conceptualization, and treatment. In the Psychotherapy Process Seminar, interns take the lead in case presentation, and are required to again address cultural factors involved in their patient care. In the Professional Issues Seminar, topics related to professional practice are addressed, with multiple lectures specifically dedicated to discussing issues related to diversity and cultural humility.
Annual DEIJ Workshop: Every spring, interns and faculty gather for the Annual DEIJ Workshop. This half-day workshop includes presentations by internship faculty and community leaders on subjects related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, especially issues applicable to the Augusta region and communities we serve. Past presenters have included chief diversity officers for Augusta University and AU Health, national leaders in cultural and counseling psychology. Attendance is mandatory for interns, and often attended by a large majority of internship faculty and post-doctoral fellows.
Other learning opportunities: Interns often seek out opportunities for deeper learning in areas important to them, including attending regional and national workshops and conferences. This learning is encouraged and time-off for these opportunities is allowed provided interns continue to meet benchmarks in other internship domains. Many faculty also have personal libraries of books and articles in a variety of subjects and interns are encouraged to consult with faculty as needed on subjects less familiar to them.
