Health Justice and Systems of Care: A Required Longitudinal Course for MD Students

Medical education has acknowledged the impact of structural societal factors on health, prompting the need for curricula seeking to eliminate health inequities upstream while simultaneously caring for downstream effects of existing inequities. The Keck School of Medicine of USC (KSOM) implemented one such comprehensive curriculum, Health Justice and Systems of Care (HJSC), integrating health systems science, structural competency, and service-learning in a required course spanning the pre-clerkship and clerkship phases with an optional post clerkship elective.

The HJSC course addresses topics including racism in medicine, health inequities, and health systems science. Using transformative learning theory, it fosters critical consciousness and structural competency. Assessments include case analyses, reflections, team-based learning sessions, and group projects related to social justice in healthcare. The program aims to instill cultural humility and practical application, fostering a holistic approach to medical education that implores physicians to become advocates for health justice.

Feedback from students indicated generally positive perceptions of the curriculum. Students provided overall positive comments about discussions with guest speakers. However, students expressed a desire for more concrete examples of how health inequities can be remedied. Some found small-group activities less engaging. Other challenges included providing students of different readiness levels with tailored experiences and seamlessly integrating HJSC content within basic and clinical sciences courses.

Next steps include continuing to integrate content into the science curriculum and clerkships, improving opportunities for meaningful student interactions, and enhancing faculty development to address health justice concerns in clinical settings.