Blog Archives

Implicit Bias in Medical School Admissions

I participated in a great Harvard Medical School webinar on implicit bias in medicine with cardiologist Dr. Quinn Capers IV, who is a dean at UT Southwestern Medical School. Dr. Capers has published work documenting racial and gender bias in medical school admissions, among other realms. He has also published recommendations on how clinicians and medical educators can mitigate implicit bias in patient care and candidate selection

In the webinar, Dr. Capers covered strategies to reduce or neutralize implicit bias, including 

1. Common identify formation – Ask interviewee questions about interests and activities that you share in common.

2. Perspective taking – Take the perspective of a member of the group against which you have unconscious bias.

3. Consider the opposite – When data seem to point to one conclusion, briefly look for information supporting the opposite conclusion before making a final decision.

4. Counter stereotypical exemplars – Spend time with or focus on individuals you admire from groups against which you have a bias.

Dr. Capers described providing an implicit bias “cheat sheet” that included these strategies to medical school interviewers at The Ohio State College of Medicine, where he previously worked. If you have a chance to hear a lecture by Dr. Capers, make sure to grab the opportunity.

Tags: , , ,

If You Don’t Laugh…

I posted this piece on social media last week, but it’s so clever that I wanted to showcase it in a blog.  “A lexicon for gender bias in academia and medicine” is hilarious (and sad) – definitely worth a read. While I do not know Dr. Esther Choo personally, I have heard from an emergency medicine colleague that she is a powerhouse. She clearly also has a great sense of humor.

Tags: , ,

About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

Receive FREE Insider Medical Admissions Tips.

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the White Coat Investor podcast:

Listen to Dr. Finkel’s interview on the FeminEm podcast: