What to Say When It Matters: Communication Skills to Address Implicit Bias Workshop
Date of Review: March, 2026
This workshop, from MedEd Portal, aims to teach communication skills to address implicit bias in academic medicine. The 2-hour in-person workshop teaches a set of specific communication strategies (summarized in a helpful skills card) and uses role-play to help participants practice these strategies. The workshop was implemented 3 times over 2 years with medical students, between the beginning of year 3 and the end of year 4. In contrast to other published examples of workshops to address implicit bias, this curriculum is distinct in that it allows for 90 minutes of extended skills practice and was co-developed and co-facilitated by medical students and faculty. Each workshop consisted of a 20 minute large-group discussion activity, a 20 minute large-group didactic, and a 90 minute small-group activity in groups of 4-6 students with 2 facilitators each (one student and one faculty). During the small-group activity, students practiced role play based on micro aggressions experienced by participants or selected from a list of real examples generated by faculty and student leaders. The workshop facilitation guide is very thorough, including specific language for setting ground rules, mechanisms to promote safety including time outs, and sample responses to challenges that may arise during discussion. The structure of this workshop and emphasis on active learning modalities is well suited to this nuanced and complex topic. It could be implemented as a stand alone session, though offering it multiple times would allow for spaced repetition of skills. The workshop could also easily be extended to other learners such as residents, fellows, and faculty. By using the real life experiences of participants for role-play, the workshop can easily be adapted to different settings. However, the authors acknowledge that role-playing using personal experiences may lead to re-living of traumatizing or triggering experiences that could potentially harm participants. Because of these concerns, faculty and student co-facilitators were chosen based on their communication skills and relevant background, and received multiple hours of training in facilitation and coaching. This would be an important consideration for any institution seeking to replicate this workshop. –Emma Anselin, MD, NCEAS
Corresponding Author’s Email:
brianna.mckenzie.med@dartmouth.edu
Institution:
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Where was the Curriculum Implemented:
Hanover, New Hampshire
Outcomes that Have Been Reported for the Curriculum:
Self-reported learner attitude
Self-reported learner knowledge
Self-reported learner behavior in a real patient setting
Outcome and Study Design:
Post only
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