Document Type

Article

Version Deposited

Published Version

Publication Date

5-3-2024

Publication Title

Advances in Medical Education and Practice

DOI

10.2147/AMEP.S442569

Abstract

Due to growing health disparities in underserved communities, a comprehensive approach is needed to train physicians to work effectively with patients who have cultures and belief systems different from their own. To address these complex healthcare inequities, Rowan-Virtua SOM implemented a new curriculum, The Tensegrity Curriculum, designed to expand beyond just teaching skills of cultural competence to include trainees' exploration of cultural humility. The hypothesis is that this component of the curriculum will mitigate health inequity by training physicians to recognize and interrupt the bias within themselves and within systems. Early outcomes of this curricular renewal process reveal increased student satisfaction as measured by course evaluations. Ongoing course assessments examine deeper understanding of the concepts of implicit bias, social determinants of health, systemic discrimination and oppression as measured by performance on graded course content, and greater commitment to continual self-evaluation and critique throughout their careers as measured by course feedback. Structured research is needed to understand the relationship between this longitudinal and integrated curricular design, and retainment or enhancement of empathy during medical training, along with its impact on health disparities and community-based outcomes.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.

Published Citation

Jones AC, Bertsch KN, Williams D, Channell MK. The Tensegrity curriculum: a comprehensive curricular structure supporting cultural humility in undergraduate medical education. Advances in Medical Education & Practice. 2024 May 3:15:381-392. eCollection 2024. doi: 10.2147/AMEP.S442569. PMID: 38715712. PMCID: PMC11075676.

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