Health professional schools increasingly emphasize the role of racial and structural inequities in shaping health outcomes.   But does a factual understanding of the social determinants of health lead practitioners to question unjust social structures?   How do we design curricula that teach students to recognize and challenge racial inequities?  What can history and the humanities add to this conversation?

This symposium will bring together a variety of practitioners and educators who have begun to address these questions at Duke and beyond.   It is designed for faculty and staff who want to find better strategies for meaningful racial equity education for health professionals.  Presentations will highlight recent innovations and roundtables will provide the chance to discuss existing opportunities and challenges.  This symposium will be a time for sharing ideas and developing networks as we explore putting knowledge into practice.

Hosted by Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine
at the Duke University School of Medicine

We dedicate this symposium to the memory of Brenda Armstrong, MD. Her unwavering commitment to medical students and their education, and to equity in patient care continues to inspire us.  She brought her characteristic energy and wisdom to the early planning phase of this symposium
and for that we are especially grateful.