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Diversity and Inclusion

  1. VHS
  2. About Us
  3. Administrative Offices
  4. Diversity and Inclusion

Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion attracts students, trainees, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds and experiences to drive our collective commitment to excellence.

Diversity and Inclusion

  1. VHS
  2. About Us
  3. Administrative Offices
  4. Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion

At Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University, we believe that a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives enriches our teaching, research, and patient care environment. Creating a welcoming and supportive atmosphere where individuals can thrive is a priority for our institution. But don’t just take our word for it—hear from people on our campus.

Expanding Access

Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University is committed to broadening access to medical and health professions education. We actively seek to recruit highly qualified individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, including those with military service and those from rural or economically disadvantaged communities.

Our institution remains committed to fostering an environment where all students, trainees, faculty, and staff have the opportunity to excel and contribute to the future of healthcare.

Read more about diversity

Why choose us?

Medical professionals

Inclusive

We are committed to creating and fostering a diverse and cohesive faculty, professional staff and student body.

Neighborhood

Health-Equity Focus

Our programs integrate social determinants of health, health disparities and cultural competency content into the curriculum.

Icon of a handshake

Support

Our advising and mentorship programs promote resilience and provide the individualized support needed for success.

Addressing issues that matter

White doctor talking with diverse patient

Unconscious bias training

How do you fight bias if you don't even know it's there? The phenomenon known as "unconscious bias" is the focus of a new institution-wide training.

Unconscious bias training

Campus-Wide Unconscious Bias Training: This effort to raise awareness of unconscious bias is required training for all faculty, staff, students and the school's Board of Directors.

Women in leadership

When it comes to academic medicine, women are entering the field in large numbers.

Women in leadership

In 2018, female students made up 50% of our entering MD class. Women also are gaining ground in all Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University residency specialties, including traditionally male-dominated areas like surgery, ophthalmology and radiology. Over in the School of Health Professions, female students dominate programs like Surgical Assisting and Physician Assistant, and are entering typically male-led fields, like biomedical sciences, at all-time highs.

Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion places a strong emphasis on increasing access to opportunities for development and advancement, especially for female faculty. Read more about our efforts in the Wonder Women edition of our Digital Magazine.

Expanding pathways to medical education

For the past 40 years, Black male enrollment in medical schools has remained largely unchanged nationwide.

Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University is committed to expanding access to medical education and strengthening pathways for aspiring healthcare professionals.

To support this effort, we:

  • Partner with local high schools and undergraduate institutions to provide mentorship and guidance for students interested in medical careers.
  • Have implemented a holistic admissions approach to evaluate applicants beyond traditional metrics.
  • Continue to strengthen our BS/MD program, which offers qualified students an opportunity for early acceptance into medical school.
  • Offer a pre-matriculation program to help incoming students acclimate to the campus and prepare for their academic journey.
White doctor talking with diverse patient

Unconscious bias training

How do you fight bias if you don't even know it's there? The phenomenon known as "unconscious bias" is the focus of a new institution-wide training.

group of women from diverse backgrounds

Women in leadership

When it comes to academic medicine, women are entering the field in large numbers.

Unconscious bias training

Campus-Wide Unconscious Bias Training: This effort to raise awareness of unconscious bias is required training for all faculty, staff, students and the school's Board of Directors.

Three black male MD students in their EVMS apartment

Expanding pathways to medical education

For the past 40 years, Black male enrollment in medical schools has remained largely unchanged nationwide.

White doctor talking with diverse patient

Unconscious bias training

How do you fight bias if you don't even know it's there? The phenomenon known as "unconscious bias" is the focus of a new institution-wide training.

group of women from diverse backgrounds

Women in leadership

When it comes to academic medicine, women are entering the field in large numbers.

Three black male MD students in their EVMS apartment

Expanding pathways to medical education

For the past 40 years, Black male enrollment in medical schools has remained largely unchanged nationwide.

Unconscious bias training

Campus-Wide Unconscious Bias Training: This effort to raise awareness of unconscious bias is required training for all faculty, staff, students and the school's Board of Directors.

Women in leadership

In 2018, female students made up 50% of our entering MD class. Women also are gaining ground in all Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University residency specialties, including traditionally male-dominated areas like surgery, ophthalmology and radiology. Over in the School of Health Professions, female students dominate programs like Surgical Assisting and Physician Assistant, and are entering typically male-led fields, like biomedical sciences, at all-time highs.

Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion places a strong emphasis on increasing access to opportunities for development and advancement, especially for female faculty. Read more about our efforts in the Wonder Women edition of our Digital Magazine.

Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University is committed to expanding access to medical education and strengthening pathways for aspiring healthcare professionals.

To support this effort, we:

  • Partner with local high schools and undergraduate institutions to provide mentorship and guidance for students interested in medical careers.
  • Have implemented a holistic admissions approach to evaluate applicants beyond traditional metrics.
  • Continue to strengthen our BS/MD program, which offers qualified students an opportunity for early acceptance into medical school.
  • Offer a pre-matriculation program to help incoming students acclimate to the campus and prepare for their academic journey.

Faculty and leadership

Diversity and inclusion is important at every level and rank in our institution. That's why each leadership search at our institution begins with an orientation on our diversity recruitment policy as well as a learning session on unconscious bias. This ensures that the search process produces a disparate candidate pool and decreases unconscious bias in the selection process. 

In addition, our office collaborates with in integrating diversity and inclusion as part of the professional development process for all faculty and leaders.

Contact Us

Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old Dominion University
Diversity in Educational Programs
P.O. Box 1980
Norfolk, VA 23501

757.446.5869

Get Directions 

 Map of Medical Master's Program location