Queen’s University is situated on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory. To acknowledge this traditional territory is to recognize its longer history, one predating the establishment of the earliest European colonies. It is also to acknowledge this territory’s significance for the Indigenous peoples who lived, and continue to live, upon it – people whose practices and spiritualities were tied to the land and continue to develop in relationship to the territory and its other inhabitants today. The Kingston Indigenous community continues to reflect the area’s Anishinaabek and Haudenosaunee roots. There is also a significant Métis community and there are First Peoples from other Nations across Turtle Island present here today.
Queen’s Medicine has made many recent progressions to uplift and support EDIIA (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity and Accessibility) initiatives within our learning environment and beyond. Below are EDIIA resources available to Queen’s Medicine students. Those of you who attended the EDIIA information session on your MMI Interview Day may already have heard much of this information.
Dr. Wiley Chung serves as the Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Indigeneity, and Accessibility (EDIIA) in the MD Program. He leads the MD Program EDIIA Committee at Queen’s University, the first of its kind in North America, leaving a lasting legacy. This committee includes faculty and student representatives appointed from each of the eight formalized equity-deserving student groups: Black Medical Students Association, Queen’s Indigenous Medical Student Association, Muslim Medical Association of Queen’s, QueerMed, Queen’s Asian Medical Students Association, Queen's Jewish Medical Students Association, FrancoMed, and the Disability & Accessibility Subcommittee. Empowered to advise on curriculum, admissions, recruitment, mentorship, and wellness programming, the EDIIA Committee embodies the inclusive spirit of Queen’s University, advocating for increased diversity among students, faculty, and staff.
The Nest is the new home of EDIIA at Queen's Health Sciences, and is located on the 4th floor of the School of Medicine Building. The Nest offers the QHS community a place for meetings, get-togethers or to study, as well as resources and EDIIA-related programming. It features a kitchen, student lounge and shared meeting and study areas. QHS community members can also book the boardroom to host any EDIIA-related meetings or use the private meeting space for Zoom calls, breast feeding, quiet meditation or other needs. Staff and student hosts work at the front desk to welcome visitors and ensure everyone can make best use of the facility. The office is open 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday. Students, staff and faculty can also request after-hours access during evenings and weekends by contacting reception.
Aesculapian Society (AS) Equity Officers, Senior and Junior, are elected positions within the Aesculapian Society, which functions as the ‘student council’ of Queen’s Medicine. As pre-clerkship students themselves, AS Equity is a key point of contact for students and access to ensure that all student initiatives are equitable. They are responsible for assisting with AS Funding Allocation, event content presentation, Orientation Week leader training development, and are part of the AS Equity & Advocacy subcommittee.
Student-Run AS Committees fill different roles within the EDIIA umbrella to ensure that Queen’s Medicine is a safe, inclusive learning environment for all. These committees include:
- Equity & Advocacy
- Disability & Accessibility
- Indigenous Health (Queen’s Indigenous Medical Student Association)
- QueerMed
Student-Run Interest Groups also fill different niches in the form of cultural interest groups, hosting different events, workshops, celebrations, and more - to promote EDIIA within Queen’s Medicine. A non-exhaustive list of these groups include:
- Black Medical Students Association
- Queen’s Asian Medical Students Association
- Queen’s South Asian Medical Students Association
- Queen's Jewish Medical Students Association
- Persian Association of Medical Students
- Muslim Medical Association of Queen’s
- Christian Medical & Dental Student’s Association
- FrancoMed
- QMed Amigos