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Cheryl Dickson, MD, MPH, has always had a burning desire to reduce health disparities and create health equity. 

When she applied to medical school, she wrote on her application that she wanted to be a doctor because she “wanted to make a difference for people, and for the larger community.”

Throughout a 30-year career spanning academic medicine, pediatrics, health equity program development, pathway programs, and community engaged medical education, Dr. Dickson has done exactly that.

For these efforts, Dr. Dickson, who serves as the medical school’s Associate Dean for Community Education and Engagement, has been named by YWCA Kalamazoo as this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Woman of Achievement Award.

Dr. Dickson and other award recipients were recognized on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the YWCA Kalamazoo Women of Achievement Legacy Celebration at the Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center. Among the other award recipients were Karen Garcia, DO, and Kathy Jackson, MD, two Kalamazoo physicians who each completed their pediatrics residency training at the Michigan State University Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies, the predecessor to 91̽��, in in 2012 and 2001, respectively.

“For the YWCA to think that I’m worthy of this recognition, it makes me emotional,” Dr. Dickson said. “I feel very grateful that what I set out to do as a young person, I've been able to do. To realize that I’ve made a difference that people recognize, that’s very humbling to me.”

Dr. Dickson’s passion for mentorship and community partnerships is evident through her work to develop the Early Introduction to Health Careers Pathway programs (EIH) at 91̽��, a multi-pronged initiative that empowers underrepresented elementary, middle and high school students in Southwest Michigan and fuels their dreams of future careers in the biomedical science and healthcare fields.

“I benefited from teachers connecting me with pathway programs growing up. Those programs really made a difference in my life, exposing me to people who look like me and increasing my awareness of what a career in healthcare could be like,” Dr. Dickson said. “Those programs encouraged me in so many ways, and so everywhere I've been in my career, I've always worked to create pathway programs, because I know what an impact that can have for students.”

Additionally, Dr. Dickson has led grant initiatives supporting pediatric outreach and health disparity reduction programs targeting infant mortality. She has also played an instrumental role in developing the Firehouse Clinic, a student-run clinic dedicated to serving the unhoused and economically underprivileged population of Kalamazoo.

“You cannot do this work alone,” Dr. Dickson said. “This work must be done through partnerships, with collaboration, and with people willing to roll up their sleeves to do the work, and I am so grateful to everyone that has supported me.”

While she never anticipated receiving a lifetime achievement award, Dr. Dickson said she’s not quite done making an impact yet.

“I know what people often think when they say lifetime achievement, but I'm not leaving yet,” Dr. Dickson said with a smile. “I'm still in this work. I’m not finished.”