Responding to Bias: Equipping Residents With Tools to Address Microaggressions

Date of Review: January, 2025

This hybrid, interactive case-based small group discussion, from MedEdPortal, provides an educational framework for internal medicine residents to address bias faced from patients. The 45-minute curriculum, occurring during resident educational time, includes a brief didactic session and small group discussion of various cases. The educational material includes a brief PowerPoint designed to be adaptable to various institutions with focus on learner wellness over patient education.  It highlights recognizing the clinical scenario in which the bias occurs and identifies several options for response using both direct and less confrontational verbiage.  It does require a moderate amount of technological input to generate the word cloud, survey response, and include a virtual participation option. While only three cases are provided, they could be varied to include examples pertaining to gender diversity, pronoun use, or other experiences most relevant to an adapting institution. I think it could also be well adapted to different residency programs by altering the cases to relate more to situations encountered by those residents. It could also be utilized in yearly bias training, with senior residents sharing experiences on how to respond to these situations with interns and junior residents to build intra-program comradery.   —Kathleen Kelly, MD, NCEAS

Corresponding Author’s Email:

gbromberg@mgh.harvard.edu

Institution:

Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Where was the Curriculum Implemented:

Boston, Massachusetts

Relevant Specialty:

Internal Medicine

Outcomes that Have Been Reported for the Curriculum:

Self-reported learner attitude

Outcome and Study Design:

Pre/Post

Level of Learner Assessment

Appreciation of content/attitude assessment (self-reflection, blogging with rubric)