The significance of race-based generalizations in Canadian Medical Education First Copy Edit Revisions

Abstract

Health outcomes between racial groups vary due to a range of genetic, cultural, and social factors. That said, when medical educators refer to race as a risk for disease, they often do not refer to any of these corresponding factors. As a result, medical education often promotes an essentialist view that both pathologizes race and discourages individualized care. This poses a risk to patients and society of reinforcing false understandings of race as a biologic entity. Canadian medical schools should encourage students to think critically about race-based generalizations, by delivering transparent and context specific education.