The Growing Knowledge Series (GKS) creates a pathway for those who have completed their dissertation, but never published, to share their scholarship with the profession through a hosted webinar. This collaborative effort of our three Communities of Practice is positioned to benefit practitioners and scholars alike, creating a space to share new knowledge frequently left on the shelf. Join Andrea Simmons for this Growing Knowledge Series (GKS) webinar titled: "Diversifying the Physician Workforce: Black Medical Students Matriculate Through Holistic Admissions." This webinar is presented in partnership by ACPA's Communities of Practice.
This webinar examines evidence-based strategies for diversifying the physician workforce. Drawing from qualitative research on the successful matriculation of Black medical students, the session centers strengths, achievement, and resilience within mission-aligned admissions processes.
Grounded in Harper’s Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework and informed by Critical Race Theory, the study amplifies the lived experiences of six Black medical students through critical narrative inquiry and photovoice methodology. The findings highlight key markers of success, including motivation for medicine, success-promoting experiences, adaptive attributes and skills, and access to supportive relationships and resources, while situating these within broader legal and policy contexts shaping medical education.
Participants will gain insight into how personal motivation, mentoring relationships, rigorous preparation, and resilience interact with organizational practices and decision-making structures to shape access, opportunity, and achievement. The session demonstrates how strengths-based frameworks and equity-minded qualitative approaches can translate dissertation research into practice-relevant insights across educational, professional, and institutional contexts. The webinar also explores implications for policy, practice, and future research agendas, equipping emerging scholars with strategies to position their work to inform institutions, influence systems, and advance equity across disciplines.
Registration Fees:
Complimentary for ACPA Individual Members
$10 for ACPA Chapter Only Members
$10 for Non-Members
$5 for International Non-Members (must currently reside outside the continental United States and Hawaii)
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:
- Understand how mission-aligned selection and retention (formerly holistic review) practices contribute to the successful matriculation of Black medical students, moving beyond deficit-based narratives to emphasize strengths, assets, and achievement
- Apply Harper’s Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework (ADAF) as a cross-disciplinary, strengths-based analytic tool to examine achievement and success as illustrated through the narratives of medical school matriculation
- Identify and interpret markers of successful matriculation, including motivation for medicine, success-promoting experiences, adaptive attributes and skills, and access to critical resources
- Leverage qualitative methodologies, including critical narrative inquiry and photovoice, to inform research, policy development, and institutional practice
- Translate research findings into actionable strategies appropriate for emerging professionals, mid-level practitioners, and senior leaders engaged in admissions, advising, faculty development, and workforce diversification
ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies:
Webinar participants will develop their professional competencies in the areas of: Leadership; Organizational and Human Resource; Social Justice and Inclusion; and Values, Philosophy, and History. For more information about the ACPA/NASPA Professional Competency Areas for Student Affairs Practitioners, visit our website.
Presenters:
ACPA Growing Knowledge Series: Black Medical Students Matriculate Through Holistic Admissions
- Wednesday Jan 21 2026, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
