Calling for a Broader Conceptualization of Diversity

Abstract

The authors propose the development of a National Student Diversity Database to support both locally relevant policies regarding pipeline programs and an examination of current application and selection procedures to identify potential barriers for underrepresented students.

Facilitating admissions of diverse students: A six-point, evidence-informed framework for pipeline and program development

“…Locally relevant diversity-related data used to support the institution of the initiatives described in each case were drawn from the Health Professions Student Diversity Survey (HPSDS) [9], the Health Professions Applicant Diversity Survey (HPADS) [27] and/or local quality assurance program evaluation data at the participating institutions (McGill University and the University of Toronto, the two institutions that have been collecting data via the Health Professions Student Diversity Survey for the longest period of time, which facilitates longitudinal tracking of intervention success). Each participating institution used the Health Professions Student Diversity Survey and/or the Health Professions Applicant Diversity Survey within their local context.…”

“…Data were used internally to support and evaluate most of the initiatives described below. Data relating to medical student diversity, combined across all institutions participating in the Health Professions Student Diversity Survey, can be found elsewhere [9]. …”

“…Empirical research has reported the underrepresentation of certain population groups among medical school matriculants relative to regional and national metrics across several international contexts [4–6]. While the specific underrepresented population varies by regional, national, and international context, individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are frequently underrepresented [5–9]. Several national-level policies call upon educational institutions to attend more carefully to issues of diversity in health professions education [10, 11].…”

“…In this paper, we present the diversity-related admissions program developments designed, implemented, and evaluated at two Canadian medical schools participating in our research collaboration [9]. These developments were grounded in empirical evidence, responded to local diversity-related contextual considerations, and were informed by the knowledge translation process and literature.…”

“…These data, in turn, rely on the dimensions of diversity that an institution deems noteworthy and deserving of tracking. In a previous publication, our team called for a broader conceptualization of diversity [9], leading us to develop and encourage the adoption of a nationwide database that reflects locally determined diversity-related metrics while allowing medical educators to compare their local metrics against other aggregate data, be they local, regional, national or international.…”