Dr. Saleh Rahman: QU’s New Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
When it comes to understanding the inclusion of people of different races across the globe, as defined by the word, diversity, Dr. Saleh Rahman—the new associate dean of equity, inclusion, and diversity at the Frank Netter MD School of Medicine at the North Haven campus of Quinnipiac University—has both the education and personal life experience to lead the university’s new diversity and equity initiatives.
Saleh was born in a remote village in Bangladesh, a tiny country in Southeast Asia that did not get electricity until 2000.
“I had to study under the light of a kerosene lamp up to 10th grade,” recalls Saleh. “Then I moved to the capital city Dhaka for my higher secondary education, medical education, and job as a physician and scientist.
“My college and medical school were in Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh,” continues Saleh. “There I received my first professional MD equivalent degree. After my internship, I started working in a hospital called BIRDEM. This is one of the largest community-based diabetes hospitals designated by the World Health Organization (WHO).”
While working at the WHO-designated center, Saleh developed a picture-based, theory-driven, culturally sensitive diabetes education program for low-literacy patients. For his efforts, he was recognized with an International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Award.
“It was a prestigious global recognition for which you could choose any IDF member country for advanced training and Education,” explains Saleh. “I choose to receive my fellowship training at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School. That was in 1995 and 1996. After my fellowship training, I returned to Bangladesh and continued working at BIRDEM. In the Fall of 2006, I was admitted to Harvard T. Chang School of Public Health with a scholarship to continue a master’s in public health degree, and then I received my Ph.D. from UAB School of Public Health.”
Before finishing his Ph.D., Saleh was offered a faculty position at the Northwest Ohio Consortium of Public Health.
“So, mainly I came to the USA for higher education and eventually decided to make a career in American academia,” states Saleh.
Before joining Quinnipiac University, Saleh was at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, where he was already a tenured professor of medicine and served as the interim assistant dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In Saleh’s new position at QU, his title is associate dean for equity, inclusion, and diversity, and professor of medical sciences. His post is so new, he currently commutes to North Haven from his home in Glastonbury and is planning to move to North Haven soon.
He learned about the new position via his long-time interest in QU.
“I have been following Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine for quite some time,” explains Saleh. “As a part of the GDI (Group on Diversity and Inclusion) of the American Association of Medical Colleges, I used to receive all DEI-related job postings. The recruitment agency that launched the nationwide search for Netter had my portfolio from a previous organization and search. When they outreached, I immediately got interested and applied for this position.”
Saleh’s interest in medicine as a doctor is surpassed only by his interest in education, and grooming future medical professionals.
“This is the most crucial turning point of my educational career and life,” notes Saleh. “As a first generation [in his family] in college and medicine, I could have focused on practicing medicine. However, during my short training fellowship, training at Harvard Medical School, and my MPH training at the Harvard School of Public Health, I came to know world-renowned academic physicians who not only taught and inspired me but some of them mentored me throughout my life.”
Saleh says he’s immensely thankful to all who inspired him in his career.
“I must mention Dr. Paul Farmer (A world-renowned medical anthropologist), Dr. Richard Cash, and Dr. Christopher Murrey. What I cherished from the very beginning of my medical education, is that I would become an educator. I immediately realized this is it. I have great examples who do not just see patients but do scholarly work and educate others to change the world.”
Saleh may desire to follow in the footsteps of his mentors, but his interest in medicine began at home.
“My mother was a natural healer and a traditional birth attendant, and I saw my distant relatives who were physicians,” recalls Saleh. “But I rather wanted to be a writer from my early childhood. However, I felt writing and becoming a physician have two-fold benefits. As a physician, you come to know human beings in their most difficult time. It reveals the stories of a person. So, narrative medicine or arts in medicine are a few implications of the creative side that complement the actual making of a physician.”
The Netter MD School of Medicine is already nationally known for its diverse student population, so Saleh’s leadership hopes to keep expanding that reputation.
“The school prioritizes the creation of an academic environment that is welcoming and respectful of diversity, including but not limited to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, language, physical ability, cultural background, and socioeconomic groups,” explains Saleh. “We, as human beings, are better off when we embrace the fusion of differences. So, diversity and inclusion benefit everybody who cares about society and progress.
“However, racism, structural racism, social disparities, religious bigotry, and any kind of discrimination can prevent progress,” continues Saleh, “So, it is paramount to become inclusive and diverse as an institution and a society. I am very excited to be the inaugural dean for equity, inclusion, and diversity in a time where future generations of physicians must understand social determinants of health, be compassionate about health justice, and be willing to become citizen physicians.”
In Saleh’s plans for the school, he envisions reaching beyond the already diverse student population and practicing inclusiveness and diversity in every fabric of the Netter’s mission.
“I can envision four areas where recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty, staff, students, residents, community engagement, scholarly works in health disparities and equity, and education and training to create the next Netter,” says Saleh.
“[In] my own life as a child in a remote village, as a first gen in medical school, I found the benefit of helping others,” explains Saleh with the same love and passion he puts into all his work. “I have many experiences that I can relate to. I studied [US] zip codes as a proxy measure of health outcomes in 2000. I researched many social determinants and found them directly associated with poor health outcomes in the marginalized population. Physicians are natural advocates for marginalized people. I taught comparative health system analysis and saw we [in the US] are the world's highest GDP expenditure in health. However, we are not at the top in health parameters. I see a clear relationship between the social determinants and injustices in our system. If we could provide training and compassion to our future generation of physicians, that would significantly impact our lives and the lives of generations to come.”
Outside the world of medicine and teaching, Saleh admits to a secret life, this one of immense creativity that harks back to his love of writing. He has published 36 books in his mother’s native tongue, Bengali, and written more than 100 songs for professional singers under a nom de plume.
“I thought becoming a physician, particularly a public health physician, is the most powerful way to touch lives and change human lifestyle to impact millions,” concludes Saleh. “That is the reason I became a physician, a public health practitioner, and a writer at the same time.”
To nominate a person of the week, contact Aaron Rubin at a.rubin@shorepublishing.com