Unconscious Bias:A Deeper Dive

Uché Blackstock, MD

Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

Co-Director, Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship - Department of Emergency MedicineDirector, Recruitment, Retention and Inclusion - Office of Diversity Affairs

Director, Ultrasound Content - Office of Medical Education

NYU School of Medicine

May 1, 2019

NYU School of Medicine2Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

Fixed Growth

Mindsets

Take note of and reflect on any discomfort you feel as you

participate in today’s session.

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Objectives

● Learn about ways to mitigate the impact of

unconscious bias

● Discuss the domains of de-biasing, in order to

remove unconscious bias from practice.

● Apply techniques for recognizing and disrupting

patterns of bias

Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

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Identifying People:

Describe These People

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8Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

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Mayor John Fetterman

• Mayor of Braddock, PA

• Worked on revitalizing the city

• Known for working with art to

revitalize and reinvigorate the poor

• Great crime reduction strategies

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President Pratibha Patil

• 12th President of India

• Served from from 2007 to 2012

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Ted Bundy

• Serial Killer

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Mae C. Jemison, MD

• First black woman to travel in

space

• Also a physician

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Verna MyersHow to overcome our biases? Walk boldly toward them.

Group Exercise

Applicant Evaluation

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Applicant Evaluation

• List 2 positive adjectives that describe this applicant.

• List 2 negative adjectives that describe this applicant.

FINAL EVALUATION:

Please rate the candidate for a fellowship spot:

( 1 – 10, 10 is the best candidate)

Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

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Meet the Candidates

Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

Hakim Johnson Carolina Pena-Rodriguez Lateequa Williams

Eric Fullerton Megan DurleyJose Domingo

Discussion

Implicit Association Test

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System 1:Limbic System

System 2:Prefrontal Cortex

ImplicitEffortlessReflexive

ExplicitEffortfulAnalytic

Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

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● What was it like to take the IAT?

● How did you feel when you got your IAT results?

● Were your results what you expected?

Why or why not? How so?

● Regardless of whether you expected them or not,

how do you feel about your results?

Implicit Association Test

Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

Bias Mitigation Strategies

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The Unconscious is Malleable6 ways to develop more consciousness in decision makingCook Ross Model of Mitigating Bias

● Recognize and accept that we all have bias

● Develop the capacity to use a flashlight on yourself

● Practice “constructive uncertainty”

● Explore awkwardness and discomfort

● Engage with people you consider “others” and expose

yourself to positive role models in that group

● Get (and accept) feedback

Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

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Bias Mitigation Strategies

Approaches to making decisions more consciously

● Priming

● Reorganizing structures and systems

● New forms of accountability

Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

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Priming

“Does this person’s resume remind you in any way about yourself?”

“Does it remind you of somebody you know?

Is that positive or negative?”

“Are there things about the resume that particularly influence

your impression? Are they really relevant to the job?”

“What assessments have you already made

about the person? Are these grounded in solid information

or are they simply your interpretations?”

Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

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Structured Processes& Accountability

Reorganizing structures and systems

● Structured interviewing processes

New forms of accountability

● Diversity metrics

○ The percentage of people who apply for jobs

○ The percentage who are offered jobs

○ The percentage who accept those jobs

○ The percentage who are successful in their jobs

after six months, one year, etc..

Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

Implicit Bias

Power

+

=Reinforce systems of oppression “-isms”:

Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia

Actions

Decisions

Behaviors

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Take Home Points

1. Unconscious bias:

● System 1 vs. System 2 thinking

● Self-reflection

● Priming

● Reorganizing structures and systems

● New forms of accountability

Unconscious Bias: A Deeper Dive- Uché Blackstock, MD

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Questions?

Thank You!

Uché Blackstock, MD

Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

Co-Director, Emergency Ultrasound Fellowship - Department of Emergency MedicineDirector, Recruitment, Retention and Inclusion - Office of Diversity Affairs

Director, Ultrasound Content - Office of Medical Education

NYU School of Medicine