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 URiM applicants.

  • DEIJ Training Modules
  • Cultural Humility 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 (Extensive /One-Pager)
  • 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 pipelines)

  An inclusive recruitment effort requires that programs participate in year-round recruitment efforts to seek out URiM applicants.

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

  Programs should employ a holistic approach to reviewing all residency applicants starting with using appropriate ERAS filters that will help programs cast a wider net for URiM applicants.

• 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. The diverse members of the selection committee should review all URiM applicants and have a discussion on each applicant before the selection committee. Programs should also employ "After the Interview" best practices found on the GME Recruitment Checklist.

• 9) Data collection

  To track success, programs are encouraged to start collecting data about how many URMs applied; were invited and interviewed; and were ranked and matched. Programs should also send post-match surveys to URiM applicants (who were ranked to match, but ended up not matching) to better understand how they can improve future recruitment of URiM applicants. 

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

  Focusing on recruitment without addressing the culture and the clinical learning environment will hinder the programs’ retention efforts. Trainees, especially those from URiM backgrounds, experience discrimination, microaggressions, and stereotype threats leading to burnout, depression, and possible attrition. Programs should be in place to support all residents in the areas of board preparation, career mentoring, research mentoring, and guidance on professional identity formation.