A Critical Look at Racism in the Clinical Learning Environment and the Erasure of DEI Efforts

Abstract Academic medicine has long acknowledged the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the pursuit of health equity. Despite this recognition, the clinical learning environment (CLE) has struggled to foster an equitable and inclusive ecosystem that supports diverse learners and faculty. Efforts to dismantle racism in medicine represent an important approach to supporting diverse learners and faculty in the CLE, but they have fallen short of their intended impact. The reasons for this failure are complex and may include a limited understanding of the impact of racism and a misguided conviction that knowledge of harm suffered by minoritized groups is a sufficient driver of change. To advance understanding and increase motivation to dismantle racist systems within academic medicine, this paper posits 2 frameworks, Interest Convergence (IC) and Critical Whiteness Study (CWS). IC asserts that racial equity progresses only when it aligns with the interests of the majority, while CWS examines how Whiteness as a social construct upholds power and privilege, often to the detriment of White individuals themselves. Utilizing these frameworks, the authors detail how Whiteness negatively impacts the health of White people and impedes entry to medical school for low- and middle- income, first-generation White students. The authors illustrate how practices—such as patient- and family-centered care and competency-based medical education—which are intended to improve care and medical education for all, are fully aligned with and integral to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles. The authors conclude that racism and upholding Whiteness causes harm to majority as well as minoritized peoples while DEI principles provide the foundation for best practices in the CLE and improve outcomes for all.