Submission ID 77492
| Code | OA-4-1 |
|---|---|
| At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: | |
| Category | Medical Education |
| Type | Oral |
| Will the presenter be a: | Other |
| Presenter Other | Faculty |
| Title | Impact of Admission Interventions in Anti-Indigenous Bias |
| Background/Purpose | The medical school application process favours applicants with racial and socioeconomic privilege. We sought to understand how the medical school admissions process may also select students with higher levels of anti-Indigenous bias. |
| Methods | Applicants were invited to complete assessments of explicit and implicit anti-Indigenous bias. Explicit bias was measured using two sliding scale thermometers asking how participants felt about Indigenous people and whether participants preferred white or Indigenous people. Participants then completed an implicit association test examining preferences for European or Indigenous faces. Explicit and implicit biases were compared by applicant demographics and application status. In Year 2, the experiment was repeated with the addition of an Indigenous Health-focused Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) station. |
| Results | On average, applicants demonstrated little explicit anti-Indigenous bias and mild implicit preference for European faces. Cisgender men had greater explicit and implicit anti-Indigenous bias than cisgender women. Black and people of colour participants had stronger preference for Indigenous people and less implicit bias compared to white participants. Applicants who were offered admission had warmer feelings toward Indigenous people and greater preference for Indigenous people compared to those were not successful. |
| Discussion | Overall, applicants did not have strong interpersonal explicit and implicit anti-Indigenous biases. Outlier participants with strong biases were not offered interviews or admission to medical school. Our admissions processes may be effective in removing applicants with racist attitudes. Results from ongoing application cycles provide a unique opportunity to understand how interventions such as the Indigenous Health MMI station may influence candidate selection. |
| Keyword 1 | Admissions |
| Keyword 2 | Indigenous |
| Keyword 3 | Equity, Diversity & Inclusion |
| Abstract content most relevant to: (check all that apply) | Undergraduate Medical Education |
| Abstract Track - First Choice | Admissions |
| Authors | Rabiya Jalil Shannon Ruzycki Pam Roach Rabiya Jalil |
