Racial Bias within Pre-Health Structures: How Students and Faculty at PWIs Can Address Bias
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Authors
Hutchins, Alice
Issue Date
2025-04-03
Type
Language
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Abstract
Description
Health disparities among racial groups have remained pervasive within the United States
since the founding of the country. While originally attributed to biological differences between
races, it is now understood that racial health disparities are due to social inequalities. Health
education often perpetuates the problem rather than addressing it, by continuing to teach biased
information. The issue of bias has begun to be addressed at post-graduate level education, but at
the undergraduate level, efforts remain minimal. The research addresses how predominantly
white institutions (PWIs) can address bias earlier in the educational process which aids in the
reduction of bias later in the educational process. Students should be educated about systemic
racial bias within the United States. Faculty need to look beyond not only their own personal
biases but also examine their courses and the curriculum for systematic disparities. Finally, these
examinations at the personal, course, and curriculum levels, will assist them in addressing racial
bias at the institutional level. This research assisted in the development of a guide that provides
individuals, faculty, and administrators, with resources to address these biases; it is particularly
aimed at those at PWIs. The resource guide will provide individuals with culturally competent
resources to address systemic bias that occurs at the personal and institutional level. The
expected impact of the toolkit for students and faculty is that they use the guide as a beginning
point, in order to start to understand and identify personal and institutional biases. According to
previous research, undergraduate students should also benefit from the toolkit later in
post-graduate education and in future career fields.