What is social mission?

The social mission of a health professions school is the contribution of the school in its mission, programs, and the performance of its graduates, faculty and leadership in advancing health equity and addressing the health disparities of the society in which it exists.

Who we are

Beyond Flexner Alliance (BFA) is a national movement, focused on health equity and training health professionals as agents of more equitable health care. This movement takes us beyond centuries-old conventions in health professions education to train providers prepared to build a system that is not only better, but fairer.

The Beyond Flexner Alliance movement started with a 2012 conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that brought national attention to medical schools with strong social mission commitment, created a forum for collaboration and shared innovations, and legitimized the important role of medical education in addressing social inequities. We are now the Beyond Flexner Alliance.

Vision

Health professions education in which social mission is present, prominent, and valued to drive health equity and improved health for individuals, communities, and nations.

Mission

The Beyond Flexner Alliance aims to promote social mission in health professions education by networking learners, teachers, community leaders, health policy makers and their organizations to advance equity in education, research, service, policy, and practice.

Core Concepts and Principles

Ways in which we will pursue our vision and achieve our mission are:

• Promote a culture of accountability in health professions education that values health equity
• Raise public consciousness about social mission
• Impact future leaders’ understanding and commitment to social mission
• Create social mission standards and metrics to augment mission awareness atmultiple levels
• Serve as repository for strategies that advance social mission
• Support pathways to assure a diverse workforce including leadership
• Engage similar and diverse perspectives
• Be regionally relevant
• Advocate, Question, Disrupt