An Undergraduate Introduction to Physiology Course as an Opportunity to Address Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Biomedical Science

Abstract

If you asked someone to conjure an image in their mind of a scientist, most people envision someone who roughly resembles Albert Einstein. This is largely because we are constantly bombarded with consistent, stereotyped images about what type of person “does science”. In most science courses and textbooks, the people given credit for major scientific advancements are typically white males. In fact, if you search the internet for lists of the most influential or famous scientists, the top ones listed are almost exclusively white males. Whether or not this lack of diverse representations of scientists registers consciously, the impact of this messaging about the types of people who work in science is clear and consistent. Therefore, it is important that STEM faculty recognize the impact of this messaging and develop mechanisms to combat it, especially considering the increasingly diverse array of postsecondary students interested in STEM majors. The first opportunity to combat this dominant narrative should occur on the first day of class by focusing on diversity and inclusion statements included in the syllabus in conjunction with the collaborative development of agreed upon social norms and expectations. In addition, assignments that allow students to connect with and recognize the contributions of non‐stereotypical scientists help to provide concrete examples that are likely to be effective at countering the dominant narrative that the quintessential scientist is a white male. Therefore, I added a Physiologist biography assignment to my undergraduate Introduction to Physiology course with the objective of providing multiple examples throughout the course of the semester that counter scientist stereotypes. For the assignment, students selected a scientist to research from a curated list that included only women and minority physiologists. The assignment required that they write a paper and give an oral presentation to the class about the scientist’s personal life, career trajectory and scientific contributions along with a discussion about how the student related to the scientist personally. To assess the impact of the assignment on student notions of scientist stereotypes and overall scientist relatability, we conducted a pre‐ and post‐course survey, which indicated a significant shift in student biases of scientists being predominantly white and male. Focus group assessment revealed themes indicating that the assignment also improved student identification with people in science‐related careers. Therefore, this pedagogical intervention appears to be beneficial as a step toward creating a more inclusive STEM educational environment.