Defining a framework for medical teachers’ competencies to teach ethnic and cultural diversity: Results of a European Delphi study

Abstract

Background: Medical students need to be trained in delivering diversity-responsive health care but unknown is what competencies teachers need. The aim of this study was to devise a framework of competencies for diversity teaching.

Methods: An open-ended questionnaire about essential diversity teaching competencies was sent to a panel. This resulted in a list of 74 teaching competencies, which was sent in a second round to the panel for rating. The final framework of competencies was approved by the panel.

Results: Thirty-four experts participated. The final framework consisted of 10 competencies that were seen as essential for all medical teachers: (1) ability to critically reflect on own values and beliefs; (2) ability to communicate about individuals in a nondiscriminatory, nonstereotyping way; (3) empathy for patients regardless of ethnicity, race or nationality; (4) awareness of intersectionality; (5) awareness of own ethnic and cultural background; (6) knowledge of ethnic and social determinants of physical and mental health of migrants; (7) ability to reflect with students on the social or cultural context of the patient relevant to the medical encounter; (8) awareness that teachers are role models in the way they talk about patients from different ethnic, cultural and social backgrounds; (9) empathy for students of diverse ethnic, cultural and social background; (10) ability to engage, motivate and let all students participate.

Conclusions: This framework of teaching competencies can be used in faculty development programs to adequately train all medical teachers.

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge the C2ME partner institutions and research teams.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Notes on contributors

Rowan Hordijk, MSc, is a corporate anthropologist. He was affiliated to the Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, the Netherlands, at the time of the study.

Kristin Hendrickx, MD, PhD, is a GP and professor at University of Antwerp, Belgium, Department of Primary and Interdisciplinary Care.

Katja Lanting, MSc, is a researcher at the Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, the Netherlands.

Anne MacFarlane, Phd, is a professor of primary healthcare research at the Graduate Entry Medical School, University of Limerick, Ireland.

Maaike Muntinga, PhD, is a researcher at the department of Medical Humanities at VUmc medical center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Jeanine Suurmond, PhD, is assistant professor at the Department of Public Health, Academic Medical Centre/University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, the Netherlands.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by EACEA ERASMUS Life Long Learning Program [2013–2015], ref nr. 539536-LLP-1-2013-1-NL-ERASMUS-EQR [2013–3294].