PESJO's 2025 Year in Review

>600 attendees

More than 600 people attended our in-person or virtual events, workshops, or sessions in 2025

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16 workshops/sessions delivered

Topics included: Microaggressions, Update on Immigration Policies, Foundations of EDI/Anti-Racism, Inequity in Women's Health, the Gendered Pain Gap, Serving 2SLGBTQ+ People Experiencing Domestic Abuse​, Healthcare for Transgender Patients, Addiction and Naloxone Training​, and many more

2 asynchronous courses developed

CSM Inclusive Hiring & Selection Course​; Cultivate Inclusion: Fundamentals of Community & Belonging. Email pesjo@ucalgary.ca to sign-up for either course

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Tailored content for 5 educational offices & 10 departments

In addition to general CSM audiences, PESJO included tailored content for groups across CSM: various PGME leadership/staff/programs, AIMG​, UME, Medical Skills Staff​, GSE Staff and PHE​, MPAS​, OFD, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine, Oncology, and Surgery

Community organisation collaborations

PESJO collaborated with community organisations to deliver workshops in 2025: Centre for Newcomers, Shorey Law Firm, Sagesse, Skipping Stone Foundation. 

543 current STEP participants

164 new sign-ups for UME track, 86 new sign-ups for MPAS track, Mock MMI: 22 participants, MCAT Prep Course: 49 participants, Top 10 Review for UME: 52 participants, Info sessions & group mentorship for UME: 4 sessions, 94 participants, Info sessions for MPAS: 3 sessions, 42 participants 

97 STEP volunteers

STEP had 97 amazing volunteers donate their time in 2025. Most of our volunteers are current UME or MPAS students.

STEP student advisory committee

We’ve reorganized how STEP is run! The committee formalized terms of reference & membership, selected leadership, specified responsibilities, had honourariums distributed.

New STEP coordinator

PESJO's new STEP Coordinator, Marina Kerr, began in late 2024. In collaboration with CSM students, she administers and develops STEP initiatives. 

Building connections for STEP

with CSM staff (e.g Pathways to Medicine Program, Indigenous Health Office​, mentorship programs (e.g. BHSc/BCR, Departments), staff from U of C offices, student leaders, similar programs at other Canadian medical schools, etc.

PESJO Research Award & Scholar Program

This award aims to provide research mentorship and a research program for an emerging equity scholar, while building capacity in health equity research. The award & program launched late 2024 with our inaugural PESJO Research Scholar Dr. Tya Marchand, emergency medicine resident.

3 Grants Submitted

In collaboration with the CSM EDI Leaders group, Indigenous, Local & Global Health Office, and various CSM institutes, PESJO applied for three grants: UCalgary Transdisciplinary Connector Grant​, UCalgary Office of Indigenous Engagement Grant, TriCouncil Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity ​

2025 You Belong Survey

The You Belong Survey was sent to the over 9 000 students, staff, and faculty of the CSM. It sought to understand the diverse composition, experiences, and sense of belonging of the CSM community. It will inform future programs, policies and education. A dashboard to display data is in progress.

Research Initiatives

Ethics has been submitted and data collection has begun to support several initiatives: UpSURGE (aims to increase representational diversity in surgical disciplines), STEP (Support To Entry Program, designed to remove barriers for CSM applicants from underrepresented backgrounds), CSM Inclusive Hiring and Selection Course

2162 visits to the Foothills Community Pantry

Thank you to everyone who donated and held donation drives for the pantry!

48 Fresh Routes Markets held

PESJO works with Fresh Routes to bring an affordable produce market to Foothills Campus. An average 100 customers visit weekly. Find Fresh Routes every Wednesday 11-1:00 in HSC Mall.

Food sharing

Chartwells provided 100 lunches for their Giving Day; Fresh Routes gave holiday meal kits for students w/ financial concerns; AUPE gave produce boxes for students. PESJO collaborated with these organizations for arrangements.

Multi-faith room renovation

In 2025 PESJO coordinated a move into 2 separate rooms, providing more space. The space was also renovated to be more welcoming.

6 nominations for the CSM EDIA Award

6 nominations were collected for for the CSM EDIA Award in 2025. The winner will be announced faculty-wide in 2026.

9 EDIA Leaders (EDIAL) Meetings

PESJO hosts meetings bringing together CSM members in an EDIA community of practice. EDIAL has diverse representation across departments/institutes, faculty, staff, leadership, trainees.

45 EDIA newsletters, 400< subscribers

The Precision Equity and Social Justice Office sends an e-newsletter listing activities, events, and resources available from CSM and external organizations.

Website & social media

PESJO maintains a website, which includes EDI-related information, resources, community news and events, a days of significance calendar, EDIA spotlight, and much more.

Advocacy projects

PESJO contribute to advocacy projects like the CSM Equity Action Map; UME Accreditation; CSM Safe Reporting​; Criteria for Appointment & Promotion of Clinical, Adjunct, Research Faculty; Inclusive Washroom Policy Proposal​. PESJO also created 2025 legislation education and resources.

Cultivate Inclusion: Microaggressions

Another installment in the Cultivate Inclusion project was released on microaggressions. A workshop was also concurrently run to support this.