Introducing Health Equity Curriculum: Challenges and Opportunities

Area of Science:

• Medical education
• Public health
• Health equity

Background:

• A mandatory course series addressing critical topics in health equity, social determinants of health, philosophy of disease, and physician advocacy was introduced in 2023.
• The curriculum aimed to enhance students' understanding of societal factors influencing health outcomes and their role in patient advocacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the overall success of the newly implemented mandatory course series.
• To identify specific student cohorts with distinct reactions to the course content and delivery.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a comprehensive course series in 2023.
• Analysis of post-course evaluation data to assess student feedback and overall course reception.
• Comparative analysis of evaluations across different student cohorts, specifically identifying the M2 class's response.

Main Results:

• Post-course evaluations generally indicated the course series was an overall success.
• A notable and uniquely negative reaction to the course was observed specifically within the M2 class.
• This suggests a potential cohort-specific issue with the course content or its reception.

Conclusions:

• The mandatory course series on health equity and related topics achieved overall success.
• The M2 class's negative reaction warrants further investigation to understand and address specific concerns.
• Future iterations may require adjustments to cater to diverse student cohort needs and perspectives.