Academic medicine : journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
-
To explore resident and faculty perspectives on what constitutes feedback culture, their perceptions of how institutional feedback culture (including politeness concepts) might influence the quality and impact of feedback, feedback seeking, receptivity, and readiness to engage in bidirectional feedback. ⋯ An institutional feedback culture of excellence and politeness may impede honest, meaningful feedback and may impact feedback seeking, receptivity, and bidirectional feedback exchanges. It is essential to understand the institutional feedback culture before it can be successfully changed.
-
Ignoring the diverse and rich cultures and histories of Africa and the African diaspora by applying the term African American to anyone of sub-Saharan African ancestry in medical school admissions does a disservice to applicants, medical schools, and the communities they serve. To determine how applicants can contribute to a diverse educational environment, admissions decisions must go beyond racial and ethnic self-reporting and recognize the diversity that applicants bring to their medical school. Using a holistic approach, institutions can fairly evaluate applicants and strategically fill their incoming classes. ⋯ In this Perspective, the author argues for distinguishing between these groups in medical school admissions. He explores the differences in their history, culture, and experiences and demonstrates their uniqueness. He concludes by discussing diversity in medicine and offering suggestions for considering diversity in medical school admissions.