Andrea E. Reid, MD, MPH

Associate Dean for Student and
Multicultural Affairs in the
Program in Medical Education
and Director of the Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs (ORMA)

Camila M. Mateo, MD, MPH 

Faculty Advisor, Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs

Carlos G. Torres, MD 

Faculty Advisor, Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs

Christopher De La Cerda 

Recruitment and Student Services Manager, Office of Recruitment
and Multicultural Affairs

Barbara B. Sweeny 

Program Coordinator, Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs

Brian Benitez 

Harvard Medical School MD Candidate, Class of 2024

Ayotomiwa Ojo 

Harvard Medical School MD/MPP Candidate, Class of 2022

Overview: Prior to 1968, Harvard Medical School had few minority students. In 1968, influenced by the civil rights movement and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a group of HMS faculty engaged Dean Robert Ebert about the role HMS should play in the context of the civil rights movement. After much debate and planning, sixteen Black applicants were accepted in the Class of 1973.  Dr. Alvin Poussaint, a well-known psychiatrist and community leader, joined the faculty to support the incoming students and advance diversity and inclusion at HMS. He was the first director of the Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs (ORMA). For 50 years, Dr. Poussaint and ORMA focused on the recruitment and support of medical students from groups historically underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and disadvantaged economically, and since 2011, ORMA also serves those who identify as LGBTQ+.

On July 1, 2020, Dr. Andrea Reid (HMS alumna, 1988) assumed the mantle of ORMA--to build on Dr. Poussaint's legacy and develop an expanded vision for student support, activism, and community engagement. ORMA's work addresses many current needs: How do today's students who are URiM, LGBTQ+, and/or disadvantaged economically, survive and thrive at HMS? How are they able to bring their entire selves to the HMS experience, while also grappling with the racial, social, and political turmoil of present-day America? What responsibility does HMS have to examine racism within its own gates? And what is the role of ORMA staff and faculty in developing a more inclusive, progressive, and equitable medical education for all? In this session, Dr. Reid and the ORMA team will present the work, mission, and vision for ORMA and its critical place to foster the education, support, and thriving of HMS students.

1. Describe the ways in which ORMA engages with students, alumni, faculty, and other leaders focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and anti-racism.
2. Recognize the unique role of ORMA in recruiting diverse students to HMS.
3. Discuss the expanding role of ORMA staff in curriculum and faculty development through an anti-racism and intersectional lens.
4. Identify potential opportunities to transform their teaching to be anti-racist and inclusive.
5. Characterize the history of support of LGBTQ+ students at HMS and critical opportunities for growth in this area.

Accreditation Statement
The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.