At academic medical centers, unconscious biases can compromise efforts to promote fair and equal opportunities for all — in admissions, curriculum development, counseling, and faculty advising, among other functions. These resources can assist institutions in meeting their goals around addressing unconscious biases.
Addressing Unconscious Bias in Virtual and In-Person Interviews
The AAMC now provides Interview Guidance for Graduate Medical Education and Interview Guidance for Undergraduate Medical Education.
Additionally, this brief informational video addresses unconscious bias in in-person and virtual interviews. Viewers will receive an overview of unconscious bias, reflect upon how their own biases manifest, and receive guidance on how to recognize and mitigate their biases when conducting, reviewing, and scoring virtual or in-person interviews. This video is strongly recommended for anyone conducting interviews or evaluating interview responses.
Online Seminar: The Science of Unconscious Bias and What To Do About It in the Search and Recruitment Process
There is overwhelming scientific evidence that unconscious bias may influence the evaluation and selection of candidates — from entry-level to leadership positions — in all types of organizations, including medical schools and teaching hospitals. This presentation is designed to acquaint search committees and others with this research as one step toward mitigating the effects of unconscious bias.
More than 20,000 search committee members and other individuals in academic health centers have participated in this seminar since 2010. Read the Facilitator’s guide (PDF).
Additional Resources
Unconscious Bias in Academic Medicine: How the Prejudices We Don’t Know We Have Affect Medical Education, Medical Careers, and Patient Health (Proceedings of the Diversity and Inclusion Forum)
This publication presents an insightful look at the benefits of valuing a broad range of perspectives and experiences, and offers a summary of potential interventions to remediate unconscious biases present in modern academic medicine.
Virtual or In-Person Unconscious Bias Training
Contact Diana Lautenberger at dlautenberger@aamc.org.
Q&A With Howard Ross About the Unconscious Bias Learning Lab
Former AAMC Chief Diversity Officer Marc A. Nivet, EdD, interviews Howard Ross, founder and former chief learning officer of Cook Ross Inc. and author of Reinventing Diversity: Transforming Organizational Community to Strengthen People, Purpose and Performance. Nivet and Ross explore how and why broad representation efforts plateau at institutions, what role unconscious bias plays in these situations, and how to mitigate unconscious bias to increase the success of such initiatives.