Health Equity Thread Update
The Health Equity Thread (HET) Leadership team will provide periodic updates in Curricular Update to inform students, staff, and faculty of the activities of the thread. The team includes Dr. Beverley Sheares, Leader, Dr. Doug Shenson, Deputy Leader, and A Gould, Program Coordinator. The HET has been active across the curriculum since 2020. Our vision is to train the next generation of physicians/ physician scientists who will
- help shape a more equitable healthcare system;
- reimagine healthcare delivery to reduce disparate outcomes;
- confront and dismantle systems and structures that perpetuate inequity;
- innovate education and champion workforce diversity; and
- conduct research to provide the evidence base to support transformation.
Impact on the Curriculum: Over the past 2 years, health equity content has been added to the pre-clerkship and clerkship curricula. The HET leadership team is meeting with course directors across the pre-clerkship courses to discuss health equity content in each course as well as to encourage them to add at least one health equity learning objective that faculty teaching in those courses could use to assist them in preparing content materials.
Meetings & Seminars: Most recently, the HET leadership team (Drs. Shenson and Sheares) initiated and served as panelists in the Program for Bioethics Seminar, "The Bioethics of Trigger Warnings” with emphasis on the equity implications of this topic, in relation to what is taught and how it is taught in pre-clerkship and clerkship settings. Additionally, Dr. Sheares led in the MSC Perspectives session outlining some of the accomplishments of the thread to date.
Health Equity Thread Infrastructure: On November 30th the Advisory Group of the HET met for the first time. Our Advisory Group will partner with the HET team to prioritize health equity thread needs, strategize about how we incorporate health equity themes, and ultimately help us to drive change in the curriculum related to health equity. The group currently has 13 members including faculty, students, and YSM Educational Leadership. We will have a community member joining the group shortly.
Health Equity Thread Office Hours & Website: We invite you to join us for office hours starting in January 2023. Initially, the office hours will be on Thursdays, from 2:30-3:00pm (hours to be expanded as the need arises). Please look out for our upcoming website where we will post updates on the HET and will provide link to important health equity resources.
If you would like to send suggestions, provide feedback, or meet with the Health Equity team, please email us at health-equity-thread@yale.edu.
Curricular Changes Related to Disabilities
We have long known about the disparities in healthcare for people with disabilities. In response to your feedback, we have bolstered pre-clerkship curricular content related to disabilities. Students, faculty, and members of the disability’s community have been involved in curriculum development. In the fall semester of Clinical Skills and Across the Lifespan, MS2s have a cluster of sessions that address physical, sensory, and intellectual disabilities. These sessions involve direct contact with patients, testimonials from members of the disability community, and key point summaries from faculty experts. The MS1 physical examination curriculum now includes content related to the examination of people with physical disabilities, and the exam rooms have recently been updated with accessible exam tables. In addition to creating in-class experiences and visits to community sites such as Chapel Haven and Grimes Center, students and faculty have developed a variety of durable educational resources available to broader audiences outside of class time. Examples include separate videos about the approach to children and adults with disabilities, and guidance about how educators can use this material. The Inclusive Language Initiative & Glossary explores the responsible use of language to promote conversation and understanding, with an entire section devoted to disabilities. Students have been on the forefront of much of this work, with involvement ranging from thesis projects to committee work to constructive feedback. Thank you for your engagement and ongoing efforts towards equitable care for people with disabilities.
If you have questions or would like more information about these changes, please contact Dr. Jaideep Talwalkar.
Walking Maps
If you need to find your way around the Yale New Haven or Saint Raphael hospitals, walking maps can be found at Yale New Haven Hospital Walking Maps.