Representational Diversity

Checklist Outline

• 1) Faculty training ahead of the interview season

  All faculty members involved in recruitment and evaluations of GME trainees should participate in annual training on microaggressions, stereotype threat, and other biases and challenges that disadvantage all applicants especially those who are from historically underrepresented in medicine backgrounds.

  • DEIJ Training Modules
    
  • Cultural Humility Training
  • Mitigating Unconscious Bias in Decision Making Training
  • Bias Resources & Training
• ​​​​​​​​​​​​2) Setting diversity as a priority

  To maximize success, program leadership needs to prioritize a culture of diversity and inclusions. The AAMC 4-step process (reflective questions; data collection; synthesis and analysis, leverage findings) is one approach to prioritizing diversity. The steps below will help with setting diversity as a priority:

  • List diversity as a priority on your program's website (or use the GME DEIJ Mission Statement)
  • Ensure the images on your program's website are diverse
  • Link your program's website to the GME Diversity website which displays the GME Diversity Framework
  • Share your program's diversity data on your website or during the interview process
  • Become familiar with DEIJ initiatives/offerings within IU School of Medicine, GME and the GME DEIJ toolkit so you can respond to DEIJ questions from applicants and others
• 3) Seeking out candidates (working the pathways)

  An inclusive recruitment effort requires that programs participate in year-round recruitment efforts to seek out applicants from historically underrepresented in medicine backgrounds.

  • See resources listed in the "Building Pathways" section above
  • Student National Medical Association (SNMA)
  • Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)
  • Howard University College of Medicine - Annual Residency Fair
  • DEIJ Open House for Residency and Fellowship Applicants
• 4) Screening URiM applicants through ERAS filters

  The GME diversity committee recommends a holistic approach to reviewing all residency applicants starting with using mission aligned ERAS filters that emphasize the attributes, experiences, background, and resilience of the applicant and help programs cast a wider net for a more diverse applicant pool.

• 5) Holistic review of all applicants

  A holistic approach involves using the Experiences, Attributes, Competencies, and Metrics (EACM) Model for reviewing applicants. 

  AAMC Holistic Review Primer for Program Directors

  These AAMC tools and resources provide an overview of holistic review in residency selection. This primer and these videos are designed to quickly help program directors: 1) review the criteria you are prioritizing and 2) define and assess if your materials and processes reflect your priorities.

  • Mitigating Bias in the Admissions Process
  • Using Holistic Principles to Identify the Applicants You Desire for Your Program
  • Holistic Principles in Resident Selection - An Introduction
  • Application of Holistic Principles in Resident Selection
    
    
• 6) Interview process

  Programs should use structured interviews that incorporate behavioral and situational questions and rubrics for interview evaluation.

• 7) Interview day

  Programs should employ interview day "dos and don'ts" (see OB-GYN and Pediatrics examples) and best practices, which include focusing on environment, spaces, interactions, behavior, names, pronouns, highlighting DEIJ efforts, and preparing interview materials for applicants.

• 8) Rank order list creation and selection

  Programs must ensure that the rank selection committee includes members from diverse backgrounds who have done training in implicit bias. Groups that may have less implicit bias include but not limited to residents, younger faculty, women, URiM faculty, among others.

• 9) Data collection

  To track your success, programs are encouraged to track the demographic data/diversity of their trainee workforce to help inform the program's inclusive recruitment strategies.

• 10) Investing in Trainee Success and Creating an Inclusive learning Climate

  Focusing on recruitment without addressing the culture and the clinical learning environment will hinder the program’s retention efforts. Trainees, especially those from historically underrepresented in medicine backgrounds, experience discrimination, microaggressions, and stereotype threats leading to burnout, depression, and possible attrition. It is important to have programs in place to support all residents in the areas of board preparation, career mentoring, research mentoring, and guidance on professional identity formation. Faculty need to be trained on bias mitigation, cultural humility, upstander intervention, allyship training, and mentoring across difference.