Shaping competencies for culturally safe practice among medical students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Indigenous Health
• Cultural Competency

Background:

• Limited evidence exists on effective strategies to enhance medical students' understanding of First Nations peoples' culture and the health impacts of colonization.
• A revised Indigenous Health curriculum offered an opportunity to implement a cultural immersion program for medical students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a cultural immersion program on medical students' cultural awareness and competency.
• To assess improvements in students' knowledge of and appreciation for Indigenous culture, history, and health determinants.

Main Methods:

• The cultural immersion program was designed using a strengths-based approach, Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and transformative pedagogy.
• Pre- and post-immersion surveys were administered to first-year medical students in 2020 and 2021.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements were observed in students' knowledge of Indigenous cultural beliefs and history.
• Students reported increased confidence in working with Indigenous populations.
• Student feedback revealed a continuum of 'knowing' and 'being' experiences, ranging from reluctant to agentic.

Conclusions:

• Theoretically informed cultural immersion interventions can positively influence medical students' knowledge and appreciation of Indigenous history, culture, and health outcomes.
• Co-designed cultural immersion experiences are effective tools for developing culturally safe practices when working with Indigenous patients.