Initiatives
Anti-Racism Pre-Matriculation Reading Program
Piloted by UMN faculty, Dr. Brian Muthyala and Dr. Andrea Westby, in Fall 2020, the anti-racism pre-matriculation reading program required incoming first-year medical students to read Dorothy Roberts' book, Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-first Century, which examines race as a social construct and the role of race in medicine. Small group discussions were facilitated by faculty and second-year medical students. Books for the incoming class were purchased this year with funds from the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians (MAFP).
The curriculum was developed and piloted by students at the University of Washington School of Medicine (UW SOM) students, and has now been adapted by several medical schools across the country.
For more info on the program and Dorothy Roberts' Ted Talk "The Problem with Race-Based Medicine," see below.
Becoming a doctor (Badr) series
The Becoming a Doctor series is an integrated, longitudinal, on-campus required series of educational activities focused on empowering 3rd and 4th year medical students on transitioning successfully and resiliently into the role of physician. Through plenary, seminar and workshop sessions, students develop knowledge and skills in reflective practice and advanced clinical skills, and also participate in activities that foster professional identity formation.
Sample Required Plenary and Workshop Sessions:
Structural Racism and Health
Criminal Justice, Substance Use Disorders, and Structural Inequities
What should I do with Race and Clinical Guidelines in my practice?
Sample Selective Sessions:
Basics of Transgender Care
Medicine on the Streets: Disease Management for the Homeless Population
The Physiology of Reflection III: Reflective Tools to Combat the Trauma of Racism
Medical Ethics in a Pandemic
Legislative Advocacy