Towards Inclusive Excellence: Advancing Diversity and Equity in Medical Education
Keywords:
Diversity, Inclusion, Medical Education, Healthcare, Cultural CompetenceAbstract
This study underscores the paramount importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in shaping the future generation of healthcare professionals. By prioritizing DEI, healthcare institutions can address health disparities, enhance cultural competence, and promote a more equitable healthcare environment. Strategies encompass the integration of diverse faculty, the infusion of DEI content throughout the curriculum, faculty diversity initiatives, and specialized training to deliver culturally competent care. The benefits extend to patient-centred healthcare, advocacy for health justice, policy reform, and groundbreaking medical research. By embedding DEI principles into medical education, institutions exemplify their commitment to social responsibility, preparing the next cohort of healthcare professionals to dismantle barriers, eradicate inequities, and forge an inclusive healthcare system accessible to all patients.
References
Flexner A. Medical education in the United States and Canada. From the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Bulletin Number Four, 1910. Bull World Health Organ. 2002;80(7):594-602
Skochelak SE, Stack SJ. Creating the Medical Schools of the Future. Acad Med. 2017;92(1):16-19. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000001160
Betancourt JR, Green AR, Carrillo JE, Ananeh-Firempong O 2nd. Defining cultural competence: a practical framework for addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. Public Health Rep. 2003;118(4):293-302. doi:10.1093/phr/118.4.293
Dogra N, Reitmanova S, Carter-Pokras O. Teaching cultural diversity: current status in U.K., U.S., and Canadian medical schools. J Gen Intern Med. 2010;25 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):S164-S168. doi:10.1007/s11606-009-1202-7
Sullivan Commission on Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce. Missing persons: minorities in the health professions. Washington: Sullivan Commission; 2004.
Paez KA, Allen JK, Carson KA, Cooper LA. Provider and clinic cultural competence in a primary care setting. Soc Sci Med. 2008;66(5):1204-1216. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2007.11.027
Nosek BA, Smyth FL, Hansen JJ, Devos T, Lindner NM, Ranganath KA, Banaji MR. Pervasiveness and Correlates of Implicit Attitudes and Stereotypes. European Review of Social Psychology. 2007;18:36–88
Green AR, Carney DR, Pallin DJ, et al. Implicit bias among physicians and its prediction of thrombolysis decisions for black and white patients. J Gen Intern Med. 2007;22(9):1231-1238. doi:10.1007/s11606-007-0258-5
Williams DR, Mohammed SA. Racism and Health I: Pathways and Scientific Evidence. Am Behav Sci. 2013;57(8):10.1177/0002764213487340. doi:10.1177/0002764213487340
Price EG, Gozu A, Kern DE, et al. The role of cultural diversity climate in recruitment, promotion, and retention of faculty in academic medicine. J Gen Intern Med. 2005;20(7):565-571. doi:10.1111/j.1525-1497.2005.0127.x
Dogra N, Bhatti F, Ertubey C, et al. Teaching diversity to medical undergraduates: Curriculum development, delivery and assessment. AMEE GUIDE No. 103. Med Teach. 2016;38(4):323-337. doi:10.3109/0142159X.2015.1105944
Rosenkranz KM, Arora TK, Termuhlen PM, et al. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Medicine: Why It Matters and How do We Achieve It?. J Surg Educ. 2021;78(4):1058-1065. doi:10.1016/j.jsurg.2020.11.013
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice; Roundtable on Health Literacy, McHugh MK, Alper J, eds. The Roles of Trust and Health Literacy in Achieving Health Equity: Public Health Institutions: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); February 27, 2023.)
Sen, A. (1999). Development as Freedom. Oxford University Press.
Global Education Monitoring Report 2017/18: Accountability in Education: Meeting our Commitments. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization 2018. https://en.unesco.org/gem-report/report/2017/accountability-education.
Denson, N., & Chang, M. J. (2009). Racial Diversity Matters: The Impact of Diversity-Related Student Engagement and Institutional Context. American Educational Research Journal, 46(2), 322–353. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831208323278
Cox, T.H. and Blake, S. (1991) Managing Cultural Diversity: Implications for Organizational Competitiveness. The Executive, 5, 45-56. https://doi.org/10.5465/AME.1991.4274465
Ainscow, Mel & Booth, Tony & DYSON, ALAN. (2004). Understanding and developing inclusive practices in schools: A collaborative action research network. International Journal of Inclusive Education. 8. 125-139. 10.1080/1360311032000158015.
Stubbe DE. Practicing Cultural Competence and Cultural Humility in the Care of Diverse Patients. Focus (Am Psychiatr Publ). 2020;18(1):49-51. doi:10.1176/appi.focus.20190041
Cultural Competence in Health Care: Emerging Frameworks and Practical Approaches, Joseph R. Betancourt, M.D., M.P.H., Alexander R. Green, M.D., and J. Emilio Carrillo, M.D., The Commonwealth Fund, October 2002
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Re-users must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. This license allows for redistribution, commercial and non-commercial, as long as the original work is properly credited.
