Racial Justice Curricula in Family Medicine Residency Programs: A CERA Survey of Program Directors

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Structural racism significantly contributes to health disparities.
• Graduate medical education aims to equip physicians with skills to address these disparities.
• Racial justice curricula (RJC) are an educational approach to racism in medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and characteristics of RJC in family medicine residency programs (FMRPs).
• To identify factors associated with the presence of RJC.
• To understand barriers to implementing RJC in FMRPs.

Main Methods:

• A national survey of FMRP program directors (PDs) was conducted in 2020.
• The survey included questions on the presence, content, and barriers related to RJC.
• Descriptive and bivariate statistics were used to analyze the data.

Main Results:

• Only 30% of FMRPs reported having RJC, with most focusing on implicit bias.
• RJC presence correlated with program location, diversity of residents/faculty, and patient demographics.
• PDs’ positive attitudes toward RJC were associated with its implementation.

Conclusions:

• Most FMRPs do not currently offer RJC, despite PDs recognizing its importance.
• Lack of faculty training emerged as the primary obstacle to RJC implementation.
• Further research is needed to evaluate existing RJC and develop strategies to overcome implementation barriers.