This module is intended to increase awareness of the persistent and compounding inequities faced by women of color in medicine, and their impact on professional experiences, career advancement, compensation, and well-being. These inequities are shaped not only by gender, but by the intersection of race, ethnicity, and other dimensions of identity embedded in workplace culture, evaluation practices, policies, and institutional structures. This module aims to equip participants with the knowledge and tools needed to recognize these layered inequities, interrupt bias, and advocate for meaningful, sustainable change within medical training programs, healthcare systems, and academic institutions.
Key Goals
Recognize the prevalence of inequities in medicine for underrepresented minorities and examine how these inequities compound at the intersection of race and gender.
Implement solutions to promote diversity and equity in recruitment, retention, and advancement within medical institutions.
Explore the concept of intersectionality and its practical implications for the professional experiences of women of color in medicine.
Promote Women in Medicine groups and initiatives that are inclusive and responsive to women of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Explore the factors that contribute to the pay, recruitment, and retention gaps for women of color in medicine.
Develop comprehensive strategies to recruit, retain, and promote women of color in academic and clinical settings.
Define intersectionality and examine how overlapping identities shape the challenges faced by women of color — and how those challenges can be addressed.
Discuss strategies for professional success that are balanced with maintaining authenticity and identity in the workplace.
Define microaggression, develop strategies to respond as receiver and bystander, and learn how to receive feedback and grow when approached about one's own behavior.
The following resources serve as the core materials for this module, ranging from scoping reviews to practical management guides:
Objective 1: Pay, Recruitment, and Retention Gaps for Women of Color
Objective 2: Recruitment, Retention, and Promotion Strategies
Objective 3: Intersectionality
Objective 4: Authenticity, Identity, and Professional Success
Objective 5: Microaggressions — Receiving, Responding, and Reflecting
Designed for personal journaling or pre-meeting preparation.
Mapping Your Intersectional Experience
Designed for RAFT meetings, subdivided by module objectives.
General Discussion Questions:
How do you respond when colleagues suggest that racial equity is no longer a pressing issue in medicine — for example, "We have so many more diverse students now, so the problem is being solved"?
Have you ever received feedback you later recognized as shaped by race, ethnicity, or the intersection of race and gender — about your communication style, perceived assertiveness, or "fit"? How did you process it, and what would you have wanted instead?
How does your institution currently track, report, or act on pay and promotion data disaggregated by both race and gender? What would meaningful transparency look like, and what role could you play in advancing it?
What initiatives exist at your institution to support women of color specifically? What would you want to start or strengthen?
Objective-Specific Discussion Questions
Objective 1: Pay, Recruitment, and Retention Gaps for Women of Color
Objective 2: Recruitment, Retention, and Promotion Strategies
Objective 3: Intersectionality
Objective 4: Authenticity, Identity, and Professional Success
Objective 5: Microaggressions — Receiving, Responding, and Reflecting