Enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion in the undergraduate medicine curriculum: staff and student perspectives

Introduction Incorporating equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) themes into medical curricula is essential for preparing students to support a diverse patient population. This study evaluated the representation of six predefined EDI themes in the Year 1 and 2 teaching content at the University of Exeter Medical School (UEMS) and explored student and staff perspectives on curriculum inclusivity with the aim of developing a guidance tool to support educators in integrating EDI topics into their teaching. Methods The views of year 1 and 2 students and staff were collected by questionnaires consisting of Likert items and open-ended questions. A student led curriculum review determined the representation of the six EDI themes in the written year 1 and 2 teaching material. Results The majority of students and staff felt confident discussing topics related to the six EDI themes except for religion and belief. Staff also requested more guidance on teaching gender identity, race/ethnicity, and disability. Analysis of 469 teaching sessions showed race/ethnicity was the most represented theme, while religion and belief had the least coverage. Student suggestions from the study informed the development of a guidance document for embedding EDI topics into the medical curriculum. Conclusion The finding that most EDI themes were not fully represented in the UEMS curriculum, in conjunction with a desire by students and staff for more teaching in this area, indicates the importance of further embedding EDI topics into the medical programme. The document developed from this study provides bespoke guidance for enhancing inclusivity in our curriculum.