How Assumptions and Preferences Can Affect Patient Care: An Introduction to Implicit Bias for First-Year Medical...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Disparities
• Psychology

Background:

• Implicit bias instruction is increasing in medical training.
• Preclinical medical education lacks implicit bias content.
• Faculty guidance for implicit bias facilitation is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement an implicit bias instructional session for first-year medical students.
• To develop a faculty training program for facilitating implicit bias education.
• To address the gap in preclinical implicit bias training.

Main Methods:

• A single 1-hour multimedia lecture was delivered to all first-year medical students.
• Students participated in small-group sessions with trained facilitators focusing on reflection and strategy identification.
• Program evaluation involved thematic analysis of student strategies and facilitator feedback.

Main Results:

• 1,098 students received instruction.
• Student-identified strategies centered on humility, reflection, and partnering.
• Post-session debriefs identified areas for session enhancement, including dynamic small-group discussions and highlighting bias management in professional development.

Conclusions:

• The instructional design successfully equipped first-year medical students with strategies to manage implicit bias.
• The model is feasible, with one faculty member delivering the large-group session and trained volunteers facilitating small groups.
• This approach enables simultaneous instruction for an entire medical school class.