Incorporating an Equity Agenda into Health Professions Education and Training to Build a More Representative Workforce 

Abstract

Efforts to achieve health equity goals in the United States require the recruitment, retention, and graduation of an increasingly diverse student body of aspiring health professionals. Improving access to health care providers who are culturally congruent with the populations served is a related ethical priority that has the potential to improve the health inequities faced by communities of color and others in the United States. Midwifery education program administrators and faculty have responded to this need by acknowledging that creation of a more representative midwifery workforce starts with midwifery education. The Equity Agenda Guideline, related conceptual model, and website resources were developed for the purpose of supporting health professions educators and institutions who recognize a need for change and are seeking answers about how to train and graduate more health care providers from communities that are currently underrepresented. Using a systems approach to outline the transformative multilevel changes required, these resources offer a roadmap for how to address the underlying problems of racism and other differentisms that have limited the growth and diversification of the health and helping professions. This article addresses how health education programs interested in making an impact on this complex and persistent problem can adopt or adapt the Equity Agenda Guideline, originally developed for midwifery education programs in the United States.

Midwives Mentoring Midwives: A Review of the Evidence and Best Practice Recommendations

“…One purpose of this program is to facilitate intergenerational knowledge and history of the profession 21 . In 2020, Effland et al published an Equity Agenda Guideline , a first‐of‐its kind roadmap, to support health professions educators and institutions who sought to train and graduate more health care providers from underrepresented groups 22 . The authors urge a call to action for US midwifery education programs to incorporate an equity lens and agenda in their curricula with the goal of building a more diverse workforce.…”

“…The roadmap was developed to address the underlying problems of racism and other isms that have limited the growth and diversification of health professionals. One aspect of the roadmap to address retention of underrepresented midwifery students and those of color includes a comprehensive mentorship program with paid mentors 22 …”

Investigating cognitive holding power and equity in the flipped classroom

“…Enhancing equity is premised upon the means by which teachers understand the students' features and needs ( Lopez and Olan, 2019 ). Moreover, enhancing equity requires a suitable context and curriculum, planning for the learning activities, preparation for the learning infrastructure, suitable policies, and an appropriate learning environment, which can be the flipped classroom ( Effland et al., 2020 ). Previous studies suggest a relationship between equity and forms of social interactions that support the freedom in learning and students' capabilities, but current educational systems have found it difficult to build this relationship ( Unterhalter, 2009 ).…”

A Professional Journal That Represents, Reflects, and Renews the Profession

“…Furthermore, commentaries that address problems in standard practice, such as the vaginal birth after cesarean calculator based on race, 14 provide important insights. Studies that voice the concerns and experiences of underserved populations support necessary change in clinical practice, education, and research 15–17 . With this wide‐ranging perspective, the Journal takes that second essential step of considering a variety of thinking.…”