Learning to value ethnic diversity - what, why and how?

Introduction Learning to value ethnic diversity is the appreciation of how variations in culture and background may affect health care. It involves ac knowledging and responding to an individual's culture in its broadest sense . This requires learning the skills to negotiate effective communication, a heightened awareness of one's own attitudes, and sensitivity, to issues of stereotyping, prejudice and racism. This paper aims to contribute to debat e about some of the key issues that learning to value ethnic diversity crea tes. Context Although some medical training is beginning to prepare doctors to w ork in an ethnically diverse society, there is a long way to go. Promoting 'valuing ethnic diversity' in curricula raises challenges and the need to m anage change, but there are increasing opportunities within the changing co ntext of medical education. Appropriate training can inform attitudes and y ield refinement of learners' core skills that are generic and transferable to most health encounters. Curriculum development Care must be taken to avoid a narrow focus upon cult ural differences alone. Learning should also promote examination of learner s' own attitudes and their appreciation of structural influences upon healt h and health care, such as racism and socioeconomic disadvantage, Appropria te training and support for teachers are required and learning must be expl icitly linked to assessment and professional accreditation. Conclusion Greater debate about theoretical ap,roaches, and much further ex perience of developing, implementing and evaluating effective training in t his area are needed. Medical educators may need to overcome discomfort in d eveloping such approaches and learn from experience.