Unconscious Bias in Medicine

Thursday, January 1, 2026, 12:00 AM - Thursday, December 31, 2026, 11:59 PM, On Demand

This CME activity provides education on unconscious bias in the academic medicine workplace  for Stanford University. Existing research on unconscious bias will provide a science-based view of this seemingly non-science topic. Case studies with examples of unconscious bias, self-assessment opportunities, and exploring bias busting strategies will enable learners to understand how to bring the content into their own unique environments.

  Original Release Date: January 01, 2024
  Review Date:  May 21, 2024
  Expiration Date: December 31, 2026
  Estimated Time to Complete: 1.00 Hour
  Registration Fee: FREE

Click Begin (at the top) to learn more about how to enroll in the course.

AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ (1.00 hours), Non-Physician Participation Credit (1.00 hours)

1. Describe the effects of unconscious bias in everyday interactions with patients, students, colleagues, and team members.
2. Apply specific “bias-busting” techniques that can be used in the medical and academic environment.
3. Identify where personal unconscious biases may reside across gender, race/ethnicity, and/or cultural attributes in the workplace.
4. Develop strategies to correct personal unconscious biases in daily interactions.

In support of improving patient care, Stanford Medicine is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Credit Designation

American Medical Association (AMA)
Stanford Medicine designates this Enduring Material for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Accessibility Statement
Stanford University School of Medicine is committed to ensuring that its programs, services, goods and facilities are accessible to individuals with disabilities as specified under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008.  If you have needs that require accommodations, please contact the CME office.

Cultural and Linguistic Competency
The planners and speakers of this CME activity have been encouraged to address cultural issues relevant to their topic area for the purpose of complying with California Assembly Bill 1195. Moreover, the Stanford University School of Medicine Multicultural Health Portal contains many useful cultural and linguistic competency tools including culture guides, language access information and pertinent state and federal laws. You are encouraged to visit the Multicultural Health Portal: http://lane.stanford.edu/portals/cultural.html

Bibliography
Williams DR, Wyatt R. Racial Bias in Health Care and Health Challenges and Opportunities. JAMA. 2015;314(6):555-556. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.9260

Doe, J., Smith, A., & University of Nebraska… (2025). Let’s Talk about Bias in Healthcare: Experiences from an Interactive, Interprofessional Pilot Seminar on Racial Bias in Healthcare. International Journal of Medical Students. DOI: 10.5195/ijms.2025.2457

AMA J Ethics. 2023;25(5):E324-331. doi: 10.1001/amajethics.2023.324.

For a complete list, please view the References/Bibliography page in the Course.

For CME general questions, please contact 
     Email: [email protected]

• Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships
• Stanford Medicine adheres to the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education.
  
  
  

  The content of this activity is not related to products or the business lines of an ACCME-defined ineligible company. Hence, there are no relevant financial relationships with an ACCME-defined ineligible company for anyone who was in control of the content of this activity. 
  

  
  

  Yvonne (Bonnie) Maldonado, MD
  Senior Associate Dean, Faculty Development and Diversity
  Professor of Pediatrics (Infectious Diseases) and Health Research and Policy
  Stanford University School of Medicine
  Course Director
  Author
  Reviewer

  Magali Fassiotto, PhD
  Assistant Dean, Faculty Development and Diversity
  Stanford University School of Medicine
  Course Director
  Author

  Rebecca Adler, M.Ad.Ed. 
  Adler Designs
  Planner
  Author
  

  Odette Harris, MD, MPH
  Associate Professor of Neurosurgery
  Stanford University School of Medicine
  Planner
  

  Fernando Mendoza, MD
  Associate Dean of Minority Advising and Programs 
  Professor of Pediatrics (General Pediatrics) 
  Stanford University School of Medicine
  Planner
  

  Yasodha Natkunam, MD, PhD
  Professor of Pathology
  Stanford University School of Medicine
  Planner
  

  Abraham Verghese, MD, MACP
  Professor of Medicine
  Stanford University School of Medicine
  Author