HCOP Session 10 was a chance for all to share and learn on an important topic in healthcare and beyond - cultural competency. As the United States grows more and more culturally and ethnically diverse, there is a growing need for healthcare providers who are culturally competent to serve the population. On January 30th, HCOP participants had the opportunity to participate in a workshop led by Dr. Sade Kosoko-Lasaki – professor of Ophthalmology, Associate Vice-Provost of Health Sciences, and HCOP Program Director.
During this workshop, Dr. Kosoko-Lasaki helped to define culture and diversity and asked students to help define our differences and list our similarities as well. Students learned the importance of respect, open-mindedness, and basic skills such as listening, and were able to define various organizational cultural competency terms.
As a lead up to the session, students were asked to bring an item that represents their culture. At the end of the session, each student was able to share their cultural item and to explain exactly how it was significant to them.