JMIR Publications invites submissions to a new theme issue in its premier open access journal JMIR Medical Education exploring the pervasive issue of implicit and explicit biases in health care, including those related to gender, ethnicity, and sexuality. These biases, both conscious and unconscious, significantly impact judgment, decision-making, and ultimately patient care. We seek research that examines how these biases manifest, from gender blindness and male bias to racial essentialism and diagnostic overshadowing, and their effects on clinical practice, professional advancement, and the educational training environment.
Bias and discrimination within the medical profession have far-reaching effects on population health, health care policy, and access to care. These issues influence clinical practice, professional development, and institutional decision-making, impacting health care workers across all disciplines. We encourage submissions that address disparities such as the underrepresentation of women in leadership and the challenges faced by men in female-dominated fields, and explore their consequences on professional opportunities, academic promotion, and clinician burnout.
To address these inequities, health care organizations are increasingly implementing equity policies and training. We welcome papers that discuss the effectiveness of these interventions, explore the role of equity-focused language, and propose strategies to mitigate structural racism and health disparities. Submissions should contribute to fostering a more equitable and inclusive health care environment through explicit conversations about power dynamics, oppression, discrimination, and exclusion.
JMIR Medical Education is committed to advancing this agenda and is currently accepting manuscripts for a themed issue on bias, gender, ethnicity, and intersectionality in medical curricula. We invite original research papers, literature reviews, viewpoints, and research letters proposing educational initiatives to address bias and enhance awareness of gender and race at any stage of health professional training. Tutorials may describe a “How To” on a relevant topic, providing educational materials and resources for readers to implement in their clinical and learning environments. Furthermore, we encourage students to submit their scholarly and scientific work. Possible topics include clinical delivery models, online resources, instructional modules, competency assessments, medical simulations, classroom dynamics, or gendered aspects of the hidden curriculum. Given the journal’s focus on technology-enhanced learning, digital education strategies, and health systems science, we will prioritize submissions that use digital health technologies and informatics competencies at the individual, community, population, or societal levels.
Submissions are invited on, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Strategies and educational frameworks for enhancing professional competence in gender awareness and anti-racism
- Teaching health professionals about implicit and explicit bias as it relates to gender, race, and class with other social and structural determinants of health
- Demonstrating how educators can incorporate intersectionality frameworks into digital learning environments
- Strategies using artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), or augmented reality (AR) to teach intersectional approaches to patient care
- Case studies of adaptive learning platforms to address the intersecting identities of patients and trainees
- Gender awareness training in disciplines specializing in women’s health, including obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, family practice, mental health, and pediatrics and adolescent medicine
- The role of health care professionals in recognizing and mitigating gender bias and racial discrimination relating to digital health products and health systems delivery
- Interprofessional care models and communication strategies to improve women’s health, wellness, engagement, and overall health care experience
- Instructional modules and practical strategies for health professional learners to address racism in the classroom and the workplace
- Simulations using digital health tools to provide professionals with experience managing women’s health issues, racial disparities, and immigrant health care needs
- Online and mobile educational materials on intersectionality
- The use of digital tools and other innovative strategies to teach topics such as interpersonal violence, sexuality and sexual problems, adverse childhood experiences, and trauma-informed care
- Novel learning platforms and modalities for clinicians and health care professionals to learn and develop competencies in bias awareness, including the use of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), or extended reality (XR) and gamified or adaptive learning platforms
- Development of institutional policies that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion across the continuum of learning
- Digital and data science strategies to track bias in professional development, promotion, and practice (eg, gender data for faculty salary, appointments, editorial positions, and solicitations)
Submission Guidelines
All submissions will undergo a peer-review process, and accepted articles will be published in a special issue on “Bias, Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural Competence in Medical Education.”
Submissions not reviewed or accepted for publication in this JMIR Medical Education theme issue (e-collection) may be offered cascading peer review or transfer to other journals in the JMIR portfolio. Manuscripts may also be considered for publication in JMIR Medical Education without inclusion in the theme issue if the submission otherwise aligns with the scope and focus of the journal.
How to submit:
Please submit to this JMIR Medical Education theme issue by selecting the option “Theme Issue: Bias, Diversity, Inclusion, and Cultural Competence in Medical Education” from the drop-down menu. See the article How do I submit to a theme issue? in our Knowledge Base and consult our Instructions for Authors for more information.
Submission deadline: July 31, 2026
Guest Editors:
Ariela L. Marshall, MD
Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, University of Minnesota
Melanie Molina, MD, MAS
Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
X. Catherine Tong, MD, CCFP(EM)
Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University