Commitment to Diversity

Harvard Medical School is committed to the enrollment of a diverse body of talented students who reflect the diversity of the patients they will serve. The consensus is strong at HMS that the education of a physician is enhanced by the diversity of the student body. Harvards commitment to a diverse student population is reflected not only in the variety of institutions from which students are accepted, but also in the ethnic and economic backgrounds of the student body.

The HMS Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs  (ORMA) recruits and provides support services to individuals from groups underrepresented in medicine, and fosters an inclusive and respectful environment that is supportive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students, faculty, and staff.

Harvard is committed to a diversity of views and to principles of free inquiry and expression; all members of the Harvard community have the right to hold and vigorously defend and promote their opinions. The strong and consistent policy of Harvard Medical School is:

  • to value and treat all members of the community with respect
  • to provide a bias-neutral and emotionally safe environment conducive to learning and working and free of all forms of abusive or demeaning communication
  • to ensure equal access to rights, privileges, and opportunities without regard to race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, or veteran status

Ultimately, HMS seeks not to negate, overlook, deny, or simply to tolerate the qualities that distinguish among us but instead to understand, recognize, appreciate, and indeed to celebrate our differences. You can find Harvard Medical School's diversity statement in its entirety here: 

HMS Diversity Statement