Jonathan M. Metzl|J.D. Petty
Integrating and Assessing Structural Competency in an Innovative Prehealth Curriculum at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt Health|Vanderbilt University|Wake Forest University|Gender Studies|Vanderbilt University|Wake Forest University|Gender Studies
problem structural competency framework conceptualizing addressing healthrelated social justice issues emphasizes diagnostic recognition economic political conditions producing racializing inequalities health strategies needed teach prehealth undergraduate students concepts central structural competency eg structural inequity structural racism structural stigma evaluate impact approach curriculum vanderbilt universitys innovative prehealth major medicine health society mhs reshaped 2013 incorporate structural competency concepts skills undergraduate courses authors developed structural foundations health sfh evaluation instrument closed openended questions designed assess undergraduate students core structural competency skills piloted sfh instrument 2015 mhs seniors outcomes 85 students included analysis selected one structural factors among three important explaining us regional childhood obesity rates 85 racial disparities heart disease 92 half described individual familylevel structural factors 66 broad social political factors 56 influencing geographic disparities childhood obesity nearly twothirds 66 described racial disparities heart disease consequences socioeconomic differences discriminationstereotypes policies racial implications next steps preliminary data suggest mhs major trained students identify analyze relationships structural factors health outcomes future research include comparison structural competency skills among mhs students students traditional premedical track assessment skills incoming firstyear students