Honoring Excellence: Q and A with Dr. Cassandra Fritz of the Washington University in St. Louis Internal Medicine Residency Program

This interview is one in a series of interviews with the 2025 recipients of the ACGME Awards. These awardees join an outstanding group of previous honorees whose work and contributions to graduate medical education (GME) represent the best in the field. They will be honored at the 2025 ACGME Annual Educational Conference, taking place February 20-22, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Washington University (WashU) internal medicine residency program is recognized with the 2025 Barbara Ross-Lee, DO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. Cassandra Fritz, MD, MPHS is the director of residency initiative for IDEAS (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Allyship, and Social Justice) at WashU. She answered the ACGME’s questions about the program’s efforts to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

ACGME: Tell us a little bit about your institution and program.

Dr. Fritz: The IDEAS Housestaff Council at WashU was implemented to provide resident-led solutions to the complex issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in our residency program. We developed a strategic plan addressing the four major concerns (lack of community engagement, lack of social determinants of health curriculum, underrepresented in medicine (URM) recruitment, and lack of URM mentorship and network opportunities). The four pillars of our strategic plan were developed into resident subcommittees, providing residents with leadership roles and skill development in developing a strategic plan.

ACGME: Why is your organization so dedicated to the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion?

Fritz: I believe our organization is different than most because we acknowledge what URM learners know to be true, which is that their experience and challenges are different than their counterparts’. We, as a program, not only acknowledge that openly, but we also strive to establish a culture where others can acknowledge it and pour into the culture as allies, mentors, and sponsors. We openly state that we aren’t doing diversity for diversity’s sake. We are building programs that will support the residents’ individualized careers so they can thrive and can care for and support patients from marginalized communities.

ACGME: How has the IDEAS Housestaff Council helped make your institution more diverse and/or inclusive?

Fritz: Prior to these initiatives, our residency program was only 9.7 percent URM. Three years later, it is 29 percent URM. More than just the numbers, I think we are most proud of the fact that applicants, no matter their race or ethnicity, regard us as a place where people can come learn and be who they are.

ACGME: How could others use your work/initiative as a model to become more diverse and inclusive? What advice do you give to GME leaders who are looking to do just that, but aren’t sure how to start?

Fritz: The IDEAS Housestaff Council is an example of how to build integrative program structures at an institution that truly allows URM residents the opportunity to belong, develops leadership skills in DEI, and invites allies into the landscape in a way that is beneficial to all residents. Lessons learned: Residents need to be at the center of the work. It has to be their ideas, and they need to feel like they have ownership in the programs we build so that they have sustainability.

Learn more about the ACGME’s Barbara Ross-Lee, DO Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award and nominate a deserving Sponsoring Institution, program, or organization for the 2026 Award – nominations are due by March 12, 2025.