The do’s, don’ts and don’t knows of redressing differential attainment related to race/ethnicity in medical schools

Strong

A large and consistent body of evidence

Moderate

Solid empirical evidence from one or more papers plus consensus of the authors

Tentative

Limited empirical evidence, but clear consensus of the authors

Do’s

1

Ensure assessments are fair and defensible

Strong

Assessment

2

Use robust and recognized analytic approaches to scrutinize assessments and assessment data

Strong

Assessment

3

Sample broadly across assessment types and assessors to minimize bias

Strong

Assessment

4

Include the concept of ‘cultural validity’ in the design, development and review of assessments

Moderate

Assessment

5

Do recognize unequal privilege and power in the learning environment as causes of differential attainment and take steps to mitigate their negative impacts

Strong

Learning

6

Medical schools must take responsibility for their role in creating and perpetuating differential attainment

Strong

Systems/institutional level

7

Recruit and promote under-represented faculty

Strong

Systems/institutional level

Don’ts

8

Don’t assume that minoritized students will have the same exposure to and familiarity with particular assessment methods as their non-minoritized peers

Tentative

Learning

9

Don’t implement ‘diversity’ practices which place unacknowledged and unrewarded burdens on minoritized faculty and students

Moderate

Systems/institutional level

10

Don’t attribute to the individual what is systematic

Strong

Systems/institutional level

Don’t know’s

11

Are supportive interventions for specific groups effective in respect of assessment outcomes?

–

Assessment

12

To what extent do professionalism norms and assessments of professionalism discriminate against minoritized students?

–

Assessment

13

How can formal curricula influence differential attainment?

–

Learning