Residency Program honored for diversity, equity and inclusion
Fritz leads efforts to recruit, mentor physicians from underrepresented groups
The Internal Medicine Residency Program at WashU Medicine has received the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) 2025 Barbara Ross-Lee, DO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. The honor recognized the program’s initiative IDEAS@DOM (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Allyship and Social Justice), aimed at recruiting and mentoring residents who are underrepresented in medicine (URiM). It was led by Cassandra Fritz, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology.
The Internal Medicine Residency Program at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has received the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) 2025 Barbara Ross-Lee, DO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. The honor recognizes accredited institutions that have helped “to diversify the underrepresented physician workforce and create inclusive workplaces that foster humane, civil, and equitable environments.”
The Internal Medicine Residency Program, part of WashU Medicine’s Department of Medicine (DOM), was noted for the initiative IDEAS@DOM (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Allyship and Social Justice), aimed at recruiting and mentoring residents who are underrepresented in medicine (URiM). Led by Cassandra Fritz, MD, an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, IDEAS@DOM has resulted in a significant increase in the number of URiM applicants matching into the program — from 9.7% of applicants in 2021 to 27% in 2024.
IDEAS@DOM also includes a council of residents who helped create and disseminate a diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plan for the resident program focused on mentorship, recruitment, and community engagement. Additionally, Fritz, along with members from the IDEAS@DOM resident council developed the Gateway to Residency Program, which serves as a boot camp for medical students from disadvantaged backgrounds to prepare them for the internal medicine application process. Through the initiative, applicants receive mentorship and networking opportunities from WashU Medicine URiM residents and faculty members.
Fritz, along with other leaders in the program, will be honored in February during the 2025 ACGME Annual Educational Conference in Nashville, Tenn.
Read more on the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education website.
