Promoting quality care for recently resettled populations: curriculum development for internal medicine residents

Residents report they lack preparation for caring for an increasingly diverse US population. In response, a variety of curricula have been developed to integrate cultural competency into medical training programs. To date, none of these curricula has specifically addressed members of recently resettled populations.

A preliminary assessment was conducted among internal medicine (IM) residents at 1 program (N  =  147). Based on 2 conceptual frameworks and the survey results, a pilot curriculum was developed and integrated into the interns' ambulatory block education within the general IM track (n  =  9). It included (1) online information made available to all hospital staff; (2) 4 interactive didactic sessions; and (3) increased exposure to newly arrived patients. The curriculum was qualitatively evaluated through 2 focus groups.

The preliminary assessment was completed by 101 of 147 residents (69%), with 61% of respondents indicating they felt that they received less than adequate education in this area. Eight of the 9 interns exposed to the new curriculum participated in the focus groups. Overall, respondents reported they thought patient care had improved for recently resettled populations and across their patient panels after exposure to the curriculum.

This study demonstrated that an intervention that included didactics and enhanced exposure to a diverse population improved IM interns' perceptions of care for all patients, including recently settled individuals.