124 - Assessing Diversity in Anatomy Lecture Visuals: A Quality Improvement Project in Medical Education

Poster Board Number: 124
There are separate poster presentation times for odd and even posters.
Odd poster #s – first hour
Even poster #s – second hour

Co-authors:

Sydney Kehoe, BS - Medical Student, Albany Medical College; Madelyn Crowell, PhD - Assistant Professor, Division of Anatomy, Albany Medical College

Abstract Body : This is a Quality Improvement (QI) project that aims to evaluate the diversity of anatomical images used in Albany Medical College anatomy lectures from 2022 to 2023. The Monk Skin Tone (MST) Scale can provide quantitative insights into the extent of underrepresentation or overrepresentation of specific skin tones in the visual content of professor-created anatomy lectures. This study utilizes the MST Scale, a tool for assessing skin tone diversity in images, to quantify and compare the representation of various demographic groups in the visual content of these lectures. A comprehensive analysis of anatomy lecture materials from Albany Medical College spanning the academic years 2022-2023 was conducted. The MST Scale categorizes the skin tone of an image into 10 tones that represent diverse communities in a way that can more easily be analyzed quantitatively. The scores were aggregated and statistically analyzed to determine trends and potential disparities in the representation of demographic groups based on skin tones. This QI project sheds light on the importance of considering diversity in medical education visuals, specifically within the anatomy curriculum. The data collected through this project can then be used to identify gaps in diversity and discuss these gaps in the context of the broader goals of medical education to promote inclusivity and cultural competence. The findings from this study can further guide curriculum developers, educators, and medical institutions in fostering more inclusive learning environments; with the potential to survey and improve not only anatomy curricula, but also any curriculum with a need for visual elements.