The impact of socially accountable health professional education: Systematic review

Abstract

A BSTRACT Medical education is socially responsible for a global educational movement that transforms the development and presentation of medical schools in higher education. Therefore, in the present systematic review, we aimed to evaluate the impact of socially accountable health professional education. Published research articles were reviewed by searching the relevant terms invalid databases. In the initial search, 2340 records were obtained. At this stage, 1482 records were deleted due to duplication, and 773 records were removed due to indirect connection with the subject. Then, 85 articles were retrieved for full-text review. Finally, the complete review led to the selection of nine studies that met all inclusion criteria. Based on the results of the present systematic review, among the nine reviewed articles, four studies (44.44%) evaluated the effectiveness of social accountability on increasing the sense of empowerment, self-confidence, competencies such as teamwork, communication skills, and readiness for work. Three studies (33.333%) assessed the effectiveness of social accountability on providing further and better medical services and reducing infant mortality. Also, in two articles (22.22%), students’ lack of knowledge about social accountability was studied. Social accountability can help cultivate a healthy and skilled medical workforce and be effective in improving health services provided to the people. On the other hand, there are different perceptions and views on what social responsibility really is and how its effectiveness can be measured. Also, it is highly important to provide awareness in this regard for students.

Diversity in Mission Statements and Among Students at US Medical Schools Accredited Since 2000

“…Although newer institutions have the advantage of being less bound by tradition and should be more attuned to the needs of their communities and national health care gaps, our analysis failed to demonstrate significant advancements in these schools over time. Despite increasing recognition of the social accountability of medical schools to serve the health care needs of their communities, medical schools established within the past 5 years were just as likely (or unlikely) as those established in the early 2000s to include commitments to equity, inclusion, or diversity. This lack of progress becomes more important in light of the US Supreme Court decisions in Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina that rejected affirmative action, as more schools look to their mission statements to help inform their admissions policies and efforts to diversify the future physician workforce.…”

“…Diversity in Mission Statements and Among Students at US Medical Schools significant advancements in these schools over time. Despite increasing recognition of the social accountability of medical schools to serve the health care needs of their communities, 30 and Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina 32 that rejected affirmative action, as more schools look to their mission statements to help inform their admissions policies and efforts to diversify the future physician workforce. Our findings suggest that the continued underrepresentation of individuals from historically excluded racial and ethnic groups cannot just be attributed to entrenched institutional policies and power structures.…”