Results of a Needs Assessment for a DEI Workshop for GME Program Coordinators

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Administration
• Diversity and Inclusion

Background:

• Graduate medical education program coordinators play vital roles in resident support and program management.
• There is a lack of reported data on program coordinators' learning needs, skills, and attitudes regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
• Coordinators' competencies in DEI are crucial for fostering inclusive learning environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the characteristics, job tasks, attitudes, and learning needs of program coordinators concerning DEI.
• To assess the current state of DEI training among program coordinators in graduate medical education.
• To inform the development of targeted DEI professional development programs for program coordinators.

Main Methods:

• An electronic needs assessment was administered to program coordinators attending a DEI and bias workshop.
• The assessment included items based on expert opinion and literature review.
• Descriptive and comparative analyses were performed on the collected data.

Main Results:

• The response rate was 54% (106/198), with 90% identifying as female and 42% as underrepresented minorities.
• Only 57% received mandatory bias training, and 13% received role-specific bias training.
• A majority agreed it is their responsibility to confront discrimination based on gender (66%) or cultural/ethnic identity (65%).

Conclusions:

• Program coordinators have significant roles in residency programs but limited DEI training.
• There is a clear need for DEI and bias competency programs tailored to program coordinators.
• Future graduate medical education DEI initiatives must actively include program coordinators to ensure comprehensive training.