Students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend an "Implicit Bias Training" session from 10 a.m. to noon Jan. 17 in Scott Hall's Jaffar Auditorium.

Additional seating, if needed, will be available in the Blue Auditorium.

The Wayne State University School of Medicine's Office of Diversity and Inclusion will host the interactive session, led by civil rights specialist Charles Schoder from the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. Schoder will discuss civil rights laws, protections and how to report violations.

Implicit bias refers to unconscious attitudes, assumptions and stereotypes toward a group. Biases are a preference or an aversion, and can be negative or positive.

"Sustainable inclusion is a process, not a one-time event. By offering a variety of interactive programming, individuals can move along the diversity continuum from cultural competence -- the bare minimum standard -- toward cultural humility, the standard of excellence in care. Sharpening one's viewpoint is essential to equitable care in underserved communities like Detroit," said De'Andrea Matthews, director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Participants will assess and strengthen their cultural competence through interactive exercises and identify how some of their biases, preferences and thinking styles may affect their interactions with peers and patients.

"Two of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education competencies are interpersonal/communication skills and professionalism. Trainings like this one challenge default thinking and provide a basis for improving interactions among administration, faculty, students and staff," Matthews said.