C – Change
Inspired by Brandeis’ founding values of openness, inclusiveness and social justice, the National Initiative on Gender, Culture and Leadership in Medicine (known as C – Change) engages medical schools in action-research to facilitate institutional culture changes that allow all faculty members and physicians in training to contribute fully and reach their own full potential.
C – Change (culture change) does this by fostering an inclusive, humanistic, relational and energizing culture and by encouraging diversity in leadership. As part of this effort, C – Change seeks to accelerate the advancement and leadership of women and members of underrepresented groups in academic medicine.
Over the past decade, C – Change has generated and published substantial qualitative and quantitative data on the overall culture of academic medicine in the United States and other countries. In addition, contributing to C – Change's research on effective and innovative models of mentoring, medical school faculty across the U.S. (and also from other countries) are welcomed as fellows in the yearlong C – Change Mentoring & Leadership Institute at Brandeis.
C – Change Modes of Action-Research
Distinguished research scientist Dr. Linda Pololi directs C – Change initiatives.
- National qualitative and quantitative studies of medical school faculty experiences and organizational culture through interviews and the C – Change Faculty Survey.
- The C – Change Faculty Survey is utilized widely in the U.S. and internationally in medical schools and teaching hospitals to document the culture and for program evaluation. The collected data are used by medical schools and have contributed to innovations and culture change initiatives.
- National quantitative study of medical residents' learning environment and organizational culture using the C – Change Resident Survey.
- Consultation on development and implementation of C – Change practices in medical schools and teaching hospitals.
- The C – Change Mentoring & Leadership Institute for medical school faculty.
- The C – Change Resident Institute to address resident vitality and well-being.
- Validation of the C – Change Faculty, Resident and Medical Student Surveys.
- Learning action network of five coalition medical schools.