Classroom Debate as a Pedagogical Method to Explore the Relationship Between the Medical System and Patient Community...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Reproductive Health
• Social Justice

Background:

• Medical practice often overlooks patient perspectives, creating disparities.
• Reproductive Justice (RJ) is a framework by Black women activists addressing inequitable reproductive health outcomes.
• RJ centers marginalized communities and the intersection of reproductive rights with social justice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate how classroom debate can teach medical students to engage with diverse community perspectives in healthcare.
• To highlight the alignment of a debate curriculum with the Reproductive Justice framework.
• To foster critical evaluation of health equity and community participation in medical research.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a classroom debate curriculum focused on the federal Medicaid Sterilization Form.
• Emphasized creating a psychologically safe learning environment with diverse perspectives.
• Encouraged critical analysis of medical literature for authorship, representation, and community involvement.

Main Results:

• Debate pedagogy can enhance medical students' understanding of complex patient-provider intersections.
• The curriculum aligns with RJ principles, acknowledging external factors influencing reproductive outcomes.
• Students learned to critically assess research for equity and community engagement.

Conclusions:

• Debate is an effective tool for medical education, building communication and professionalism.
• Integrating RJ principles into medical training promotes a more equitable approach to healthcare.
• Medical students must critically evaluate research and practice to ensure health equity.