Changing the Approach in Supporting and Advancing Underrepresented in Medicine (UIM) Medical Students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine
• Mentorship Programs

Background:

• Diversity is crucial for enhancing patient care and medical education.
• Students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine (UIM) face unique challenges, including "minority tax" and stereotype threat.
• Effective mentorship is vital for supporting UIM students, requiring educators to understand and address these specific challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate a workshop focused on challenges faced by UIM medical students and best practices in mentorship.
• To enhance medical educators' confidence and skills in recognizing and addressing issues pertinent to UIM students.
• To foster a supportive environment for meaningful discussions about race and the experiences of UIM medical students.

Main Methods:

• A 90-minute workshop was developed for undergraduate medical educators.
• The workshop included case-based discussions, videos, and focused on challenges UIM students encounter.
• A retrospective pre-post design assessed participants' confidence and readiness to apply skills in UIM mentorship.

Main Results:

• Participants (N=57) reported a significant increase in confidence (20-26 points) in recognizing and addressing UIM student issues.
• Post-workshop confidence levels rose from 53-60 to 79-81, with a mean readiness-to-apply score of 82.
• The workshop received a high overall helpfulness rating of 4.6 out of 5.

Conclusions:

• The workshop effectively improved medical educators' awareness, comfort, and skills in mentoring UIM students.
• Healthcare professionals play a key role in supporting UIM medical students through informed mentorship.
• This training provides a structured approach to discussing sensitive topics related to race and student experiences in medical settings.