The 2024 Minority Health Policy Meeting, held this year at the Joseph Martin Conference Center, featured presentations from the Commonwealth Fund fellows, HMS Faculty Fellows, and HMS Dean’s Postdoc Fellow. Health professionals, students, residents, staff, and individuals from community agencies and organizations had the chance to learn more about health care disparity issues impacting this country’s most vulnerable populations.

The Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Minority Health Policy at Harvard University is a year-long program for physicians offering intensive study in health policy, public health, and management. These fellows are dedicated to transforming health care delivery systems for historically marginalized populations. This program culminates in the fellows presenting their practicum projects at the end of the academic year.

The Faculty Fellowship of Diversity Inclusion and Community Partnership (DICP) and Harvard Catalyst Program for Diversity Inclusion (PFDI) Faculty Fellowship is a two-year, non-degree faculty fellowship program for Harvard junior faculty designed to address faculty need for additional support to conduct clinical and/or translational research.

The Dean’s Postdoctoral Fellowship is a two-year research fellowship that was established to nurture, advance, and retain a diverse scientific workforce that will continue to contribute to diversity through their ongoing academic and research scholarship. The fellowship program prepares scientists from groups historically underrepresented in the basic and social sciences for careers in academia and other sectors.

Michael Drake, President of the University of California, delivered the keynote presentation on May 9th, 2024, in the form of a conversation with Joan Reede, Dean of Diversity and Community Partnership at Harvard Medical School. Growing up in Englewood, New Jersey and later Sacramento, California, Drake touched on his experiences across the United States and how they shaped his leadership path.

As a child, Drake used to have severe asthma attacks at night and would have to wake up his father (a medical doctor) to get medication. He strongly resisted waking his dad up but soon realized his father didn’t mind and was only happy to help. Drake said of retaining that same mentality, “I always had that feeling when treating patients; that it was a blessing and an opportunity to be able to work with someone and help them get better. That in itself was a great reward.”

Drake served in a number of positions in the University of California system and was also the president of Ohio State University. His commitment to health equity influenced his opinions on several pressing issues within academia, such as health equity and diversity and inclusion efforts. For those at any stage of their career during these challenging times, Drake had several pieces of advice:

1. Have a firm, iron-clad foundation. Always be well-rounded in basic principles because people will always challenge you no matter how far you advance.
2. You are the changemaker and it can be tough. “During times of frustration, I try remember that this is when I’ll be making a difference,” he said.
3. Maintain a wide angle lens and wide view. Keep calm and carry on. Make one good decision and follow that with another good decision and so on.