A Call to Action for Cultural Humility in Pharmacy Education Student Assessments

• Published in: American journal of pharmaceutical education Vol. 86; no. 4; pp. 8626 - 259
• Main Authors: Rizzolo, Denise, Sandifer, Chadwin, Kalabalik-Hoganson, Julie, Lowy, Nora
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2022; American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy; Elsevier Limited; American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education
• Subjects: African Americans; Analysis; Bias; Cardiovascular disease; Competence; Core curriculum; Cultural Awareness; Cultural Competency - education; cultural humility; Curriculum; diversity; Education, Pharmacy - methods; Educational aspects; Educational tests and measurements; Ethnic Groups; Ethnicity; Etiology; Examinations; Health Behavior; Health disparities; Humans; Humility; inclusion; Licensing examinations; Licensing Examinations (Professions); Medical education; Medical students; Methods; Minority & ethnic groups; Multiculturalism; Multiculturalism & pluralism; Patients; Pedagogy; Pharmaceutical Education; Pharmacists; Pharmacy; pharmacy assessment; Psychological aspects; Race; Racial Bias; Racial Discrimination; Racial Distribution; Racism; Rating of; Schools; Set (Psychology); Social aspects; Socioeconomic factors; Students; Students, Pharmacy; Study and teaching; Teachers; Teaching; Teaching Methods; Test Items; unconscious bias; Vignettes; Writing Tests; United States; United States > US; cultural humility; inclusion; diversity; test-items; pharmacy assessment; unconscious bias
• ISSN: 0002-9459; 1553-6467
• DOI: 10.5688/ajpe8626

An important topic in the conversation on the education of pharmacy students evolves around methods of pedagogy and assessment and attention to diversity and inclusion. Well-intentioned educators may introduce bias into their teachings and assessment tools by focusing on diseases with a higher rate of presentation in minorities without engaging in conversations about why these health disparities exist. When considering the content and structure of a curriculum, it is also important to review its assessment tools, with attention to cultural humility in multiple-choice examinations, case-based presentations, and even observed structured clinical examinations. Disregarding this component of the conversation may lead students to have an unconscious impression that social constructs are biological markers for a disease. Students may recall not only what they learned in a classroom setting, but often the content included in their assessments as well. By writing test items that are culturally responsible, unconscious bias can be reduced and test items can better measure the knowledge that educators intend to assess. As pharmacy educators perform programmatic reviews, attention should be directed toward unconscious bias, not only in the curricula but also in evaluation and assessment tools.