NYU-Gold Webinar: Race and Racism in U.S. Medical Education
For more information about the entire webinar series and other upcoming dates, click here.
“Race and Racism in U.S. Medical Education” is part of the Gold Human Insight Webinar 10-part series Advancing Healthcare Equity with Medical Humanities from NYU and the Gold Foundation.
This webinar aired with a live Q&A with Dr. Lauren Olsen on June 14, 5:30-6:30 p.m. ET. You must have attended the live session to receive CME credit.
1 CME credit is just $10; the Gold Foundation is supporting this series and has committed to making CME credit affordable. The webinar is free for non-CME attendees. Donations to support the Gold Foundation’s work are optional and welcome. More accreditation information is below.
Download full CME information (PDF)
SPEAKER
Lauren Olsen, PhD
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Temple University
College of Liberal Arts
Sociology
Assistant Professor
As a medical sociologist, a major tenet of my approach to research, teaching, and service is my belief that institutions of education and medicine have the responsibility to provide equitable conditions for students or patients to thrive. I am currently engaged in research projects on the inclusion of social sciences and humanities into medical education, the reproduction of inequality in the profession of medicine, and the diverse understandings of diversity, equity, and inclusion programming in professional schools.
I study how educators, physicians, and policy makers apply knowledge to improve patient care and how the context in which these actors work impacts how they utilize knowledge. I address questions about how these actors understand the sources of health and healthcare disparities in the U.S. patient population, how they decide what kinds of knowledge are clinically relevant, and how they reproduce forms of inequality in their educational materials and interactional processes – particularly racial inequality.
I take great delight and care in teaching and engaging with students. Teaching is one of the most tangible forms of public sociology, and thus I approach teaching with a desire to cultivate an empathic and inclusive learning environment for my students by addressing my power and privilege, identifying the central inequities that pattern social processes (including knowledge production), and systematically researching best practices in the literatures on teaching and learning.
Website Links: https://liberalarts.temple.edu/academics/faculty/olsen-lauren
SUMMARY
In this lecture, I review the historical and contemporary manifestations of racism in medicine.
I focus on two central themes, both of which I situate historically and then trace into the present: 1) the formation and maintenance of the profession; 2) knowledge production and application in the clinic.
Regarding the former, I describe the racism embedded into admissions in the years following the infamous Flexner report and explain how the overt racism of the past now takes on new, more covert forms, often unbeknownst to the person engaging in a racist act. I review the latest social scientific data on both unconscious and systemic racism to enhance our understanding of the state of racism today in the medical profession.
In capturing the second theme, I detail the social construction of race by medical and scientific leaders, noting its consequences both for patient care then (e.g., horrific medical experimentation) and now (e.g., racial adjustments in diagnostic and treatment plans).
The objective of this lecture is to build a critical awareness of the underpinnings and extent of racism in medicine today.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Understand the history of racism within the medical profession
- Gain critical awareness of the current manifestations of racism today
CME ACCREDITATION STATEMENT
The NYU Grossman School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
CREDIT DESIGNATION STATEMENT
The NYU Grossman School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. PROVIDED BYNYU Grossman School of Medicine
For more information about the entire webinar series and other upcoming dates, click here.