Assessing Cultural Sensitivity Questions in Ranking Decisions for a Family Medicine Residency Program

DOI

10.2991/assehr.k.210930.007How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Candidate selection, cultural sensitivity

Abstract

Background and aims/objectives: The ability of family physicians to establish an inclusive and culturally-safe practice environment is a key competency of the profession. Our study aimed to explore the utility of questions assessing cultural sensitivity to improve ranking decisions of family medicine residency candidates. Methods: A series of cross-sectional online surveys were sent to interviewers (current residents and faculty), site directors and administrators, following completion of the first period of national resident interview dates. The surveys contained both closed and open-ended questions about the utility of cultural sensitivity questions during the interview process. Frequency distributions were calculated in Microsoft Excel for the 5-point Likert items. Open-ended data was themed by an independent researcher. This project was exempted by the Behavioural Research Ethics Board of the University of Saskatchewan. Results: The majority of respondents felt the questions helped them identify candidates that would fit the program. Local modifications were done to adapt to local context or improve clarity. For example, questions were generalized to vulnerable populations or narrowed specifically to experiences with Indigenous populations. Some participants indicated that cultural knowledge, as opposed to empathy, can be taught and thus the latter is what the assessment of candidates’ abilities should focus on. It was also suggested that these questions detract from opportunities to assess “particularly relevant clinical experiences or personal experiences outside of medicine.” Conclusions and Recommendation: Interviewers generally felt cultural sensitivity questions improved ranking decisions. Additionally, allowing flexibility to adapt to local contexts was important. Future initiatives can focus interviewer training on cultural sensitivity/safety approaches.

Copyright

© 2021, the Authors. Published by Atlantis Press.

Open Access

This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Lori Schramm
AU  - Adam Clay
AU  - Brian Geller
PY  - 2021
DA  - 2021/10/01
TI  - Assessing Cultural Sensitivity Questions in Ranking Decisions for a Family Medicine Residency Program
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Medical Education (ICME 2021)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 38
EP  - 42
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210930.007
DO  - 10.2991/assehr.k.210930.007
ID  - Schramm2021
ER  -