Faculty Leadership Letter of Support for Dr. Princess Dennar
Dear academic medicine leaders,
This is a letter of support for Dr. Princess Dennar, in response to her recent unjust removal from her post as Program Director of the Combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency at Tulane University School of Medicine. This event, and those described in her lawsuit, represent a broader culture of racism and white supremacy within our profession. As those who hold leadership positions in academic medicine we have a choice to either disrupt this culture through intentional action or perpetuate it through inaction and silence.
In reflecting on your decision whether or not to sign this letter, please consider your personal and professional sphere of influence, those who look to you for guidance and mentorship, and the ways by which your name and title can be used to affect change.
Please note that the inclusion of your academic affiliation is optional. Including your current academic affiliation as part of your leadership role will serve to better identify you and to accurately reflect the scope of support represented by this letter. These academic affiliations do not necessarily indicate the support by or the opinion of the institutions listed.
On March 15th, after a period of circulation and the gathering of signatures, the letter will be formally sent to ACGME and The Tulane School of Medicine, along with a two-week timeline for their response.
Thank you for your consideration.
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LETTER:
To the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and The Board of Trustees of Tulane University:
We, national faculty and leadership in academic medicine, find the racist and sexist policies and practices alleged at the Tulane School of Medicine deeply disturbing. In a lawsuit outlined here, Dr. Princess Dennar describes patterns of racism and sexism that culminated in her unjust dismissal from her post as Program Director. Dr. Dennar also describes the systematic oppression of female trainees and trainees of color and racist recruitment policies that undermine BIPOC student applicants, particularly Black applicants.
These events at Tulane are not uncommon within our profession. Just this year, Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine fired Dr. Aysha Khoury for sharing her experience as a Black woman in medicine and Dr. Susan Moore died from COVID-19 after publicly complaining of racist mistreatment. These horrifying examples of racism and sexism in medicine are emblematic of a pervasive culture of White Supremacy — a culture that is perpetuated by the deeply hierarchical power structures of academic medicine.
In the case of Dr. Dennar, the leadership at the Tulane School of Medicine, including the Tulane Office of Institutional Equity and The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) were reportedly aware of these racist and sexist policies and practices, yet they were allowed to continue without consequence. We have thus lost our confidence in the ability of current systems and power structures to support and protect trainees and faculty other than those who identify as White cis-gender men.
We therefore demand:
1. Reinstate Dr. Princess Dennar as Program Director for the Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency program and allow her to resume all prior teaching responsibilities.
2. Initiate an independent, external and transparent investigation into the policies and practices in place at The Tulane School of Medicine to respond to reports of race, gender and other acts of discrimination. The investigation must specifically include Dr. Dennar’s allegations of personal mistreatment, professional retaliation and substandard treatment of her trainees, particularly non-white women.
3. Remove Dr. Jeffrey Wiese from his role as Designated Institutional Official for Tulane Graduate Medical Education and remove Dr. Lee Hamm from his role as Dean of the Tulane University School of Medicine until completion of the independent, external investigation.
4. Initiate an independent, external review as to whether the ACGME can effectively investigate allegations of racism and sexism in GME. This review should respond to reported concerns that trainees lack confidence that the ACGME can perform this portion of its regulatory role.
5. The Tulane Med-Peds program to remain open while the independent, external review is ongoing.
Dr. Dennar’s experience and the other examples described are not isolated instances of racism and sexism. They are a reflection of an erosive culture within our profession that we all must work together to dismantle.
Signed,
Complete the following form to add your name to the list:
Adrianne Dade MD
Program Director, OB/GYN
University of Chicago
Ahsan Uddin MD
Faculty, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency
Beaumont Health, Royal Oak
Alda Maria R Gonzaga MD MS
Associate Dean for Student Affairs, and MedPeds Program Director Emeritus
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Alexandra Mieczkowski MD MS
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Alice Kuo MD PhD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of California Los Angeles
Allison Rossetti MD FAAP FACP
Assistant Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
The Ohio State University
Amanda Callegan-Poché MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Louisiana State University, Shreveport
Ameera Haamid MD
Assistant EMS Medical Director, Emergency Medicine
Cook County Health
Amy Blatt MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Rochester
Andrew Coyle, MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Angela Weyand MD
Associate Program Director, Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
University of Michigan Medical School
Angie M. Molina MD
Rising Chief Resident, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Ann-Gel Palermo DrPH
Senior Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Anne Frank MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Colorado
Anoop Agrawal MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Baylor College of Medicine
Bernard Trappey MD
Core Faculty, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Minnesota
Berry Pierre DO MPH FACOI
Core Faculty, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Wellington Regional Medical Center
Breck Nichols MD MPH
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
LAC+USC Medical Center
Bridget Voigt MD
Program Director, Pediatrics
Rush University Medical Center
Brielle M Spataro MD MS
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Cardinale Smith MD PhD
Chief Quality Officer, Oncology, and Co-Director of Diversity and Recruitment
Internal Medicine, Oncology
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Casey Gradick MD MPH
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Utah
Chelsea Dorsey MD
Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Department of Surgery
University of Chicago
Christine Todd MD FSM FACP
Chair, Medical Humanities
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Christopher Bruti MD MPH
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Rush University
Colleen Monaghan MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Brigham and Women’s/Boston Children’s Hospital
Dava Szalda MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
David A. Cohen MD
Vice Chair for Medical Education, Department of Medicine
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
Deborah Spitz MD
Vice Chair and Program Director, Psychiatry
The University of Chicago
Dennisse Reyes
Program Coordinator, Pediatrics
Brown Medical School
Diane E. Meier MD
Professor, Medicine Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Edwin Ramos MD FAANS
Program Director, Neurosurgery
The University of Chicago
Elaine Cabinum Foeller MD
Faculty, Pediatrics
East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine
Elizabeth Brannan MD
Associate Program Director, Triple Board Residency and Child Psychiatry Fellowship
Pediatrics, General Psychiatry and Child Psychiatry
Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Ellen Parker MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Eric Lemmon MD MA
Hospitalist, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Maryland Medical Center
Erika Abel MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of South Florida
Erin Finn MD
Chief Resident, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of North Carolina
Evangeline Galvez MD
Program Directors, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Massachusetts General Hospital
Fatima Ali MD
Chief Resident, Internal Medicine
Baystate Medical Center
Fuad M Baroody MD
Program Director, Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery
The University of Chicago
Harita Shah MD
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
The University of Chicago
Jacqueline Kitchen, MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
James H Miller MD
Clinical Faculty, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Allegheny Health Network
Jamie Prevedel Bowen MD MPH
Pediatric Clinical Faculty, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Baystate Medical Center
Jennifer McDonnell MD
Assistant Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Rush
Jennifer O’Toole MD MEd
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Cincinnati
Jennifer Weintraub MD
Director, Internal Medicine Primary Care Track
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Jeremy Pripstein MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Rush University Medical Center
Jessica Reid-Adam MD MSCR
Program Director, Pediatrics
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Jessica Ruth Lee MD
Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine
John Steward MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Kentucky
Jonathan Tolentino MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Miami
John Szymusiak MD MS
Assistant Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Jonathon Forncrook DO, FAAP, FACP
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Marshfield Clinic Health System
Joseph Muller
Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Johns Hopkins
Joseph Truglio MD MPH
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Julie Venci MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Colorado
Kammi Henriksen MD
Program Director, Pathology
University of Chicago
Katelyn Donohue MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Maryland
Katherine Shaw MD
Assistant Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Johns Hopkins
Kathryn Diamond-Falk MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Maine Medical Center
Kelsie Avants DO
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
UIC
Kendra Van Kirk MD MAT FAAP
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Miami
Kevin Hachey MD MPH
Chief Resident, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Baystate Medical Center
Kristen Ann Ehrenberger MD PhD
Faculty, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Pittsburgh
Laura Bishop MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Louisville
Laura Koenigs MD
Associate Program Director, Pediatrics
UMMS-Baystate
Lauren Beal MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
LSU Health Shreveport
Leona Hess, PhD
Director
Medical Education
Leonard Feldman MD
Program Director, internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Johns Hopkins
Lisa Jones MD FACOG
Chief Quality Officer, OB-GYN
Greater New Bedford Community Health Center
Lisette Lugo-Calzada MD
Program Co-Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Puerto Rico
Lori Wan MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
UCSD Health Sciences
Maggie Kozman MD
Academic Faculty, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Harbor UCLA Medical Center and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Maria Del Rios MD MS
Director of Social Emergency Medicine
University of Illinois at Chicago
Maria Maldonado MD
Director of Education, Cross Cultural and Patient Centered Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Mary Catherine Turner MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
ECU Brody School of Medicine
Mary Elizabeth Alvarez MD MPH
Former Program Director, Internal Medicine and Psychiatry Residency, Tulane University
Medical College of Wisconsin
Matthew Mischler MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
UICOMP/OSF Saint Francis Medical Center
Mayce Mansour MD
Assistant Program Director, Internal Medicine Primary Care Track
Meghan Harding DO
Assistant Program Director, Pediatrics
University of Illinois at Chicago
Michael Aronica MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
SUNY Buffalo
Michael Aylward MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Minnesota
Michael Carles MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Illinois at Chicago
Michael Contarino MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of North Carolina
Michelle Barnes MD
Program Director, Pediatrics
University of Illinois in Chicago
Monica Vela MD
Associate Dean
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Mumtaz Mustapha MD
Director of Clinical Coaching
University of Minnesota
Nabil Abou Baker MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Chicago
Natalya Maharaj MD MPH
Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Baystate Medical Center (UMMS-Baystate)
Ndang Azang-Njaah MD MPH
Resident Preceptor, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Nicholas Grumbach MD
Core Faculty, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Nidhi Goel MD MHS
Core Faculty, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Maryland
Nikita Barai MD
Assistant Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Niraj Sharma MD MPH
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Boston Children’s Hospital
Nolan Kagetsu MD FACR
Former Program Director, Diagnostic Radiology
The Mount Sinai Hospital
Pavan Srivastava MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Illinois College of Medicine — Chicago
Perrie Pardee MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
UC San Diego
Rachel Kruzan MD
Associate Track Director — JH IM Urban Health Residency Program
Johns Hopkins
Rainier P. Soriano MD
Interim Senior Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Raquel Reyes MD MPA
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Raymond Givens MD PhD
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine (Cardiology)
Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Reed Van Deusen MD MS
Assistant Dean for Human-Based Simulation Education
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Rita Rossi-Foulkes MD MSCR
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Robert Abdullah MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Stony Brook University Hospital
Robert H. Hopkins Jr. MD MACP FAAP
Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Robin Howard
Residency Coordinator, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
UNC Chapel Hill
Rohini Harvey MD
Program Faculty, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Baystate Medical Center/University of Massachusetts Medical School
Ronald Williams MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Penn State
Rupa Mahadevan MD
Wellness Chair, Pediatrics
LSU Shreveport
Russel Reid MD PhD
Plastic Surgery
University of Chicago
Sabrina Gard MD MPH AAHIVS
Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Sacharitha Bowers MD
Program Director, Dermatology
SIU School of Medicine
Sachin D. Shah MD
Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Chicago
Sanjay A. Patel MD
Associate Program Director, Medicine
Riverside Methodist Hospital (Ohio Health)
Sarah Adams MD
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
LSU Health Shreveport School of Medicine
Sarah Faris MD
Program Director, Urology
University of Chicago
Sarah Hinton MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Shahzeem Bhayani MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine
Sharon Wretzel MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Massachusetts Medical School — Baystate Medical Center
Sherald Leonard MD
Volunteer Member of Pediatric Department DEI Committee, Retired Pediatrician
Rush University Medical Center
Shikha Jain MD
Director of Communication Strategies, Oncology
University of Illinois
Sire Sow MD MS
Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine
The Mount Sinai Hospital
Stacy Laurent DO
Associate Program Director, Pediatrics
Stefanie Brown MD MBA
Program Director, Internal Medicine
Section Chief, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
University of Miami Leonard Miller School of Medicine
Sudeep Aulakh MD
Director of Ambulatory Education, Medicine
Baystate Health
Sybil Cineas MD
Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Brown
Tabitha Davis Stellato MD
Family Medicine
Axesspointe Community Health Center
Tanesha Moss MD MPH
Assistant Professor, Pediatrics
Harbor UCLA Medical Center
Tim Brady MD
Program Director, Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Indiana University
Venus Standard MSN, CNM, APRN, FACCE, LCCE
Director, DEI of Education and Community Engagement
UNC School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine
Weijen Chang MD
Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs, Pediatrics
Baystate Medical Center
Yesenia Greeff MD
Assistant Program Director, Internal Medicine
Baystate Medical Center
