The Wayne State University School of Medicine Office of Faculty Affairs & Professional Development welcomes all members of our community to join us for a special interactive discussion: 

Racism as a Social Determinant of Health 

When: March 8, 2021 

Time: 12 - 1 p.m. 

Although most children in Michigan have some sort of health insurance, health disparities still exist.  Many of these disparities are due to underlying bias and discrimiation among certain populations. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Describe the types of bias and racism seen in the US
• Describe the intersectionality of racism and social determinants of health
• Recognize how racism affects children and adolescents in education and health care
• Identify ways to address racism in clinical encounters

Guest Speaker: Dr. Lynn Smitherman

Dr. Lynn Smitherman is the Vice Chair of Pediatric Education at Wayne State University School of Medicine. She received her undergraduate degree from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.  She completed a combined residency program in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics at Wayne State University Affiliated Hospitals and a Chief Residency in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.  She is the former Director of the Pediatric Residency Program at Children’s Hospital of Michigan and is now focusing on creating a longitudinal pediatric curriculum at the Undergraduate Medical Education level.

Dr. Smitherman is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and is the Immediate Past-Chair of the Pediatric Section of the National Medical Association (NMA). Representing the NMA, Dr. Smitherman served on the Steering Committee of the AAP Pediatric Research in Office Settings to improve minority representation in clinical research, and on the AAP’s Task Force to Address Bias and Discrimination, which led to the AAP’s Policy Statement on the Impact of Racism on Child and Adolescent Health published in July, 2019.  She also serves as the AAP’s District V Diversity and Inclusion Champion.

The Wayne State University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physcians. 

The Wayne State University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit (s) TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commendurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.