Harvard Medical School’s Sexual and Gender Minority Health Equity Initiative: Curricular and Climate Innovations in Undergraduate Medical Education

Keuroghlian, Alex S.; Charlton, Brittany M.; Katz-Wise, Sabra L.; Williams, Kesha; Jarvie, E.J.; Phillips, Rusty; Kremen, Jessica; Guss, Carly E.; Dalrymple, John L.; Potter, Jennifer

doi:10.1097/acm.0000000000004867

Cited by 15 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 6 publications

(6 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Successful incorporation of LGBTQI + health into UME requires thoughtfully developed LGBTQI + health competencies and objectives with appropriate instructional methods and assessments to ensure mastery [ 48 , 49 ]. While some schools have centrally coordinated this with curriculum reform efforts [ 47 ], most schools in this study chose to dedicate faculty effort to the governance and oversight of curricular “threads” [ 43 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual and gender minority content in undergraduate medical education in the United States and Canada: current state and changes since 2011

Streed,

Michals,

Quinn

et al. 2024

BMC Med Educ

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose To characterize current lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI +) health-related undergraduate medical education (UME) curricular content and associated changes since a 2011 study and to determine the frequency and extent of institutional instruction in 17 LGBTQI + health-related topics, strategies for increasing LGBTQI + health-related content, and faculty development opportunities. Method Deans of medical education (or equivalent) at 214 allopathic or osteopathic medical schools in Canada and the United States were invited to complete a 36-question, Web-based questionnaire between June 2021 and September 2022. The main outcome measured was reported hours of LGBTQI + health-related curricular content. Results Of 214 schools, 100 (46.7%) responded, of which 85 (85.0%) fully completed the questionnaire. Compared to 5 median hours dedicated to LGBTQI + health-related in a 2011 study, the 2022 median reported time was 11 h (interquartile range [IQR], 6–16 h, p < 0.0001). Two UME institutions (2.4%; 95% CI, 0.0%-5.8%) reported 0 h during the pre-clerkship phase; 21 institutions (24.7%; CI, 15.5%-33.9%) reported 0 h during the clerkship phase; and 1 institution (1.2%; CI, 0%-3.5%) reported 0 h across the curriculum. Median US allopathic clerkship hours were significantly different from US osteopathic clerkship hours (4 h [IQR, 1–6 h] versus 0 h [IQR, 0–0 h]; p = 0.01). Suggested strategies to increase content included more curricular material focusing on LGBTQI + health and health disparities at 55 schools (64.7%; CI, 54.6%-74.9%), more faculty willing and able to teach LGBTQI + -related content at 49 schools (57.7%; CI, 47.1%-68.2%), and more evidence-based research on LGBTQI + health and health disparities at 24 schools (28.2%; CI, 18.7%-37.8%). Conclusion Compared to a 2011 study, the median reported time dedicated to LGBTQI + health-related topics in 2022 increased across US and Canadian UME institutions, but the breadth, efficacy, or quality of instruction continued to vary substantially. Despite the increased hours, this still falls short of the number of hours based on recommended LGBTQI + health competencies from the Association of American Medical Colleges. While most deans of medical education reported their institutions’ coverage of LGBTQI + health as ‘fair,’ ‘good,’ or ‘very good,’ there continues to be a call from UME leadership to increase curricular content. This requires dedicated training for faculty and students.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual and gender minority content in undergraduate medical education in the United States and Canada: current state and changes since 2011

Streed,

Michals,

Quinn

et al. 2024

BMC Med Educ

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is consistent with the idea that the CCCIP initiative and the student involvement in the curriculum helped to drive content implementation that was present across multiple interviews. The idea of student lead initiatives as drivers of change in medical education is present both in institutions initiating climate change education ( 34 – 36 ) and across additional domains of educational reform, outreach services, and advocacy groups as students engage in extracurricular activities and research throughout their medical education ( 8 , 37 , 38 ). Student-faculty partnerships are integral to the development and sustainability of curricular changes and accountability in the health sector ( 36 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate and health education: A critical review at one medical school

Greenwald

Blanchard

Hayden

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionAs medical schools continue to improve and refine their undergraduate curricula, they are also redefining the roadmap for preparing future generations of physicians. Climate change is a critical topic to integrate into medical education. This period of change for undergraduate medical education coincides with a surge in interest and design efforts for climate and health curricula in health professional education, but this nascent field has yet to be solidly institutionalized. To continue to grow the number of medical students who achieve competency in the effects of climate change on individual health and the health of the planet during their training, we must examine what has worked to date and continue to shift our approach as curricular changes are implemented for feasibility and relevancy.Objective and methodsIn the present study, we assessed the “climate and health” content at one northeastern U.S. medical school that is undergoing an overhaul of their entire curriculum to explore strategies to deliver more robust climate health education in the context of the educational redesign. We conducted 1) a retrospective review of the now four-year-old initiative to investigate the sustainability of the original content, and 2) semi-structured interviews with lecturers, course directors, and medical education coordinators involved in implementation, and with faculty tasked with developing the upcoming curricular redesign.Results and discussionOf the original implementation plan, the content was still present in nine of the 14 lectures. Themes determined from our conversations with involved faculty included the need for 1) a shared vision throughout the content arc, 2) further professional development for faculty, and 3) involvement of summative assessment for students and the content itself to ensure longevity. The interviews also highlighted the importance of developing climate-specific resources that fit within the school's new curricular priorities. This critical review can serve as a case study in curriculum to inform other schools undergoing similar changes.

show abstract

“…We conducted interviews with 36 experts across the country; these included organizational leaders, mentorship scholars, and LGBTQIA+ health experts. Experts were identified in part by the Harvard’s LGBTQIA+ medical education initiative’s Professional Advisory Council [ 10 ]. The primary goal of these interviews was to identify mentorship needs of LGBTQIA+ health professionals.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a mentor training curriculum to support LGBTQIA+ health professionals

Charlton,

Potter,

Keuroghlian

et al. 2024

J. Clin. Trans. Sci.

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

While mentors can learn general strategies for effective mentoring, existing mentorship curricula do not comprehensively address how to support marginalized mentees, includingLGBTQIAþ mentees. After identifying best mentoring practices and existing evidence-based curricula, we adapted these to create the Harvard Sexual and Gender Minority Health Mentoring Program. The primary goal was to address the needs of underrepresented health professionals in two overlapping groups: (1) LGBTQIAþ mentees and (2) any mentees focused on LGBTQIAþ health. An inaugural cohort (N = 12) of early-, mid-, and late-career faculty piloted this curriculum in spring 2022 during six 90-minute sessions. We evaluated the program using confidential surveys after each session and at the program's conclusion as well as with focus groups. Faculty were highly satisfied with the program and reported skill gains and behavioral changes. Our findings suggest this novel curriculum can effectively prepare mentors to support mentees with identities different from their own; the whole curriculum, or parts, could be integrated into other trainings to enhance inclusive mentoring. Our adaptations are also a model for how mentorship curricula can be tailored to a particular focus (i.e., LGBTQIAþ health). Ideally, such mentor trainings can help create more inclusive environments throughout academic medicine.

show abstract

Harvard Medical School’s Sexual and Gender Minority Health Equity Initiative: Curricular and Climate Innovations in Undergraduate Medical Education

Cited by 15 publications

References 6 publications

Sexual and gender minority content in undergraduate medical education in the United States and Canada: current state and changes since 2011

Sexual and gender minority content in undergraduate medical education in the United States and Canada: current state and changes since 2011

Climate and health education: A critical review at one medical school

Development of a mentor training curriculum to support LGBTQIA+ health professionals

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About