Dr. Sandra M. Quezada Appointed Assistant Dean for Academic and Multicultural Affairs at the University of Maryland School of Medicine

In Addition to Existing Role as SOM Assistant Dean for Admissions,  Dr. Quezada Will Play a Key Role in Enhancing Diversity and Cultural Competence

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM) Dean E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, and James B. Kaper, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, announced today that Sandra M. Quezada, MD, MS, will be the new Assistant Dean for Academic and Multicultural Affairs. This role is in addition to her position as Assistant Dean for Admissions. 

Dr. Quezada, an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at UM SOM, as well as director of the “Medical Spanish” course elective and Assistant Dean of Admissions at the School of Medicine, will play a leadership role in enhancing the diversity and cultural competence of the school’s students and faculty. Working with the Office of Admissions, she will focus on expanding the number of students admitted from groups traditionally underrepresented in the field of medicine, as well as increasing the scholarship funding available to these students. With UM SOM’s Department of Human Resources, Dr. Quezada will focus on the recruitment and retention of talented, culturally and ethnically diverse faculty, staff, and trainees. She will also be responsible for reviewing and monitoring UM SOM’s progress and recommending best practices regarding diversity initiatives.

“The School of Medicine is committed to enhancing diversity among our students, faculty, and staff, and to fostering an inclusive environment in our community,” said Dr. Quezada. “We must amplify our efforts to leverage diversity in all its forms to strengthen our institution. I am extremely excited to take on this new role.” 

Dr. Quezada received her MD degree from UM SOM and completed her postgraduate training in internal medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and Baltimore VA Medical Center. She underwent her fellowship training in gastroenterology and hepatology at UMMC. She received an MS degree in human nutrition at the Institute of Human Nutrition at Columbia University and an MS degree in clinical research from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at UM SOM.

Dr. Quezada serves as the faculty advisor to the Latino Medical Student Association, and is a faculty mentor for the Student National Medical Association and the Women in Medicine student interest group. She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and in addition to receiving this year's Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award from the Gold Humanism Honor Society, she has been recognized as the 2016-2017 Outstanding Faculty Member by the Student National Medical Association. She is currently a member of the American Gastroenterological Association Diversity Committee and will serve as Chair of that committee from 2018-2021. In 2017 she was honored with the inaugural Dean’s Alumni Award for Diversity and Inclusion, recognizing UM SOM alumni for their efforts to foster diversity at the school and beyond.

“Dr. Quezada is committed to the value of diversity and to fostering an institutional culture of inclusion and tolerance,” said Dean Reece, who is also the vice president for Medical Affairs, University of Maryland, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor. “She is talented and energetic, and she will thrive in this new role, and will continue to make a positive impact at the School of Medicine.”

About the University of Maryland School of Medicine

Commemorating its 210th Anniversary, the University of Maryland School of Medicine was chartered in 1807 as the first public medical school in the United States.  It continues today as an innovative leader in accelerating innovation and discovery in medicine. The School of Medicine is the founding school of the University of Maryland and is an integral part of the 11-campus University System of Maryland. Located on the University of Maryland’s Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine works closely with the University of Maryland Medical Center and Medical System to provide a research-intensive, academic and clinically based education. With 43 academic departments, centers and institutes and a faculty of more than 3,000 physicians and research scientists plus more than $400 million in extramural funding, the School is regarded as one of the leading biomedical research institutions in the U.S. with top-tier faculty and programs in cancer, brain science, surgery and transplantation, trauma and emergency medicine, vaccine development and human genomics, among other centers of excellence. The School is not only concerned with the health of the citizens of Maryland and the nation, but also has a global presence, with research and treatment facilities in more than 35 countries around the world. http://medschool.umaryland.edu.

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