The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington is committed to an inclusive environment and to reducing inequities in patient care through education, research, leadership and excellence in clinical care. We strongly believe that diversity enriches training, scientific discovery and promotes the best healthcare.

As a large-scale healthcare provider in the five-state region of Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI), we serve a substantial population of both urban and rural patients from a variety of socioeconomic, racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Values in Action
- We maintain a climate of respect for patients and their families, our students, trainees, faculty and staff.
- We pursue the recruitment, retention and advancement of faculty and trainees from underrepresented groups in medicine.
- We strive for diversity in race, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical ability and socioeconomic background.
Department Initiatives

In 2019, our department established two new initiatives recognizing the importance of diversity for maintaining excellence in our teaching, patient care and research programs:
Diversity Sub-Internship
This is an experience with a $1,500 stipend designed to give two fourth-year students from historically underrepresented backgrounds the opportunity to experience the outstanding clinical training in our department prior to choosing where to go for their residency. For more information, visit the Diversity Sub-I page on the UW Medicine Center for Health Equity, Diversity & Inclusion website.
Council on the Promotion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The department's Diversity Council is part of the broader UW Medicine Center for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. It is composed of 14 faculty, staff, and trainees dedicated to department-wide initiatives honoring, promoting and recognizing diversity in its many forms. The inaugural group is serving a two-year term. Our membership roster is on the sidebar to the right.
OB/GYN Faculty Supports LGBTQ Pride MonthNetwork of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows

Established in 2010, the University of Washington Network of Underrepresented Residents and Fellows (UWNURF) is a resident and fellow organization at the University of Washington that promotes cultural diversity in medicine through community education, mentorship, professional networking, cultural competency education, and recruitment of underrepresented medical students, residents and fellows.
OB/GYN Grand Rounds with a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Focus
Here is a list of archived Grand Rounds focusing on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Click on the title links to view the presentations.
Race-Based Medicine
Date: 08/12/2020 (presentation to be posted)
Race in Medicine: What You See Isn't What You Get
Presented By: Naomi Shike, MD, MSc
Date: 08/05/2020 (presentation to be posted)
Structures & Self: Advancing Equity and Justice in Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare
Date: 07/29/2020 (presentation to be posted)
Structural Racism and Health Inequities
Date: 07/22/2020 (presentation to be posted)
Reproductive Rights & Wrongs: Agency, Autonomy and a Reproductive Justice Approach to Care
Presented By: Jamila Perritt, MD, MPH, FACOG
Date: 06/26/2019
IUDs and Implants: A Person-Centered and Justice-Informed Perspective
Presented By: Christine Dehlendorf, MD, MAS
Date: 05/29/2019
A Race-Conscious Approach to Disparities in Endometrial Cancer for the 21st Century
Presented By: Kemi Doll, MD, MCSR
Date: 05/08/2019
The Psychological Science of Microaggressions: What They Are and Why They Matter (partial video)
Presented By: Jonathan Kanter, Ph.D.
Date: 01/23/2019
Infertility Management in Low Resource Settings
Presented By: Christopher Herndon, MD
Date: 10/24/2018
Implicit Bias and Social Categorization in Medicine
Presented By: Naomi Shike, MD, MSc.
Date: 10/10/2018
Slavery, the Surgeon, and the Statues: The History and Legacy of Dr. J. Marion Sims
Presented By: Vanessa Northington Gamble, MD
Date: 12/13/2017
Treating Racism in Medical Education
Presented By: Andrea V. Jackson, MD MAS
Date: 01/25/2017
Presented By: Lisa Callegari, MD, MPH
Date: 12/21/2016