Creation of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Curriculum for Required Medical School Psychiatry Rotation

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Psychiatry
• Health Equity

Background:

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) curricula are increasingly vital in medical education.
• Medical students need training to address systemic biases and promote equitable healthcare.
• Psychiatry rotations offer a unique opportunity to integrate DEI principles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a DEI curriculum for medical students during their psychiatry rotation.
• To enhance students' self-reflection on systemic bias.
• To improve culturally informed psychiatric care for underrepresented patient groups.

Main Methods:

• Developed a DEI curriculum for the University of Minnesota psychiatry clerkship.
• Utilized culturally focused resources for psychiatric care.
• Engaged students with resources and facilitated processing groups for discussion.
• Collected quantitative and qualitative survey data post-curriculum.

Main Results:

• 176 third-year medical students participated between May 2022 and March 2023.
• 71% of students reported increased comfort engaging with diverse psychiatric patients.
• 26% reported no change, and 3% reported decreased comfort.

Conclusions:

• The DEI curriculum was positively received by medical students.
• Students reported enhanced ability to work with diverse psychiatric patient populations.
• The curriculum effectively integrated DEI principles into psychiatric training.