Reframing Maslow to Comprehensively Consider the Needs of All Trainees

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Social Determinants of Health
• Health Equity

Background:

• Medical training systems present systemic barriers and structural inequities disproportionately affecting trainees from historically marginalized groups.
• These inequities lead to unmet needs, impacting trainees' well-being, academic outcomes, and educational experiences.
• A prevailing 'deficiency discourse' obscures the role of structural barriers, wrongly attributing challenges to innate trainee deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel framework addressing the unmet needs of medical trainees from historically marginalized groups.
• To shift focus from individual deficiencies to systemic barriers within medical education.
• To promote a more equitable and supportive learning environment for all medical trainees.

Main Methods:

• Development of a novel framework adapted from Maslow's 'Hierarchy of Needs' theory.
• The framework is designed for practical application by trainees and educators.
• It aims to facilitate reflection on trainee needs and identify systemic inequities.

Main Results:

• The proposed framework provides a structured approach to recognizing and addressing the diverse needs of medical trainees.
• It enables trainees to self-assess their needs and educators to better understand lived experiences.
• The framework can illuminate cohort-specific inequities, informing targeted support strategies.

Conclusions:

• A needs-based framework, grounded in Maslow's theory, is essential for supporting medical trainees from marginalized backgrounds.
• This approach can mitigate the impact of structural inequities and foster trainee flourishing.
• Implementing this framework can lead to more equitable medical education programs and improved outcomes for all trainees.