It is well known that historical and systemic social forces (e.g., poverty, racism, sexism, homophobia, immigration, violence, and environmental issues) contribute substantially to a wide range of deleterious effects on health which disproportionately affect individuals from disenfranchised groups. Physicians are well-positioned to be at the forefront of social change, and the Keck School of Medicine has a deep commitment to equity, justice, and structural transformation with a goal of ameliorating health disparities and benefiting society as a whole.
The establishment of a Health Justice and Systems of Care curriculum reflects the commitment of the Keck School of Medicine to social justice and its efforts to impact health equity. The HJSC curriculum is core content for all KSOM medical students.
The goals of the HJSC curriculum are to: 1) train students to understand the political, economic, racial, and social structures that impact health and contribute to health disparities; and 2) equip students with the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of communities and lead policy efforts to address healthcare inequities in society.
All students will participate in immersive educational experiences that include the overarching domains of foundations of health justice, social determinants of health, health systems and structures, high-value care, patient safety and quality improvement, clinical informatics and health information technology, and advocacy for health justice. A service-learning experience will serve as the experiential component of the HJSC curriculum.