Introduction to Cultural Competence and Health Disparities is a classroom-based, two-hour session for first year medical students taught in the “Foundations” section of the curriculum. Before attending the session students are required to complete the online CLAS course described above. During the session, students engage in facilitated small group discussions of cultural self-awareness and practice a skills-based approach to cultural competence and eliciting patient health beliefs during the medical encounter. In the last part of the session, students participate in an interactive lecture on health beliefs and working with underserved populations.
