title: Addressing health disparities in the undergraduate curriculum: an approach to develop a knowledgeable biomedical workforce.
abstract: Disparities in health and healthcare are a major concern in the United States and worldwide. Approaches to alleviate these disparities must be multifaceted and should include initiatives that touch upon the diverse areas that influence the healthcare system. Developing a strong biomedical workforce with an awareness of the issues concerning health disparities is crucial for addressing this issue. Establishing undergraduate health disparities courses that are accessible to undergraduate students in the life sciences is necessary to increase students' understanding and awareness of these issues and motivate them to address these disparities during their careers. The majority of universities do not include courses related to health disparities in their curricula, and only a few universities manage them from their life sciences departments. The figures are especially low for minority-serving institutions, which serve students from communities disproportionally affected by health disparities. Universities should consider several possible approaches to infuse their undergraduate curricula with health disparities courses or activities. Eliminating health disparities will require efforts from diverse stakeholders. Undergraduate institutions can play an important role in developing an aware biomedical workforce and helping to close the gap in health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: *Directorate of Education and Human Resources, Division of Human Resource Development, National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA 22230 Department of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20008.
authors.forename: Rocio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benabentos
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 Department of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20008.
authors.forename: Payal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20008 dkumar@udc.edu.
authors.forename: Deepak
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kumar
mesh_terms: D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003479:Curriculum; D004501:Education, Medical; D005006:Ethnicity; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D011634:Public Health; D014495:Universities