Debra Klamen¹
1 Southern Illinois University School of Medicine 

Programmatic assessment as used in undergraduate medical education curricula has been around for over 10 years (1). The Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Illinois adopted this methodology in 2020-2021. There have been the inevitable growing pains with the use of programmatic assessment, especially with the notion of movement from assessment OF learning to assessment FOR learning. One unexpected, but positive result of this move in assessment has come from comments from the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, as well as numerous students who are under-represented in medicine in the Unites States. All working under the new system have reported a significant decrease in stereotype threatastheyworktheirwaythroughthemedicalschool'scurriculum. Duringthepresentation, details of this finding will be discussed. 

Stereotype threat (2) refers to the phenomenon where individuals belonging to a certain social group experience anxiety or fear of confirming negative stereo types associated with their group. This threat arises from the awareness that one's behavior or performance may be judged through the lens of these stereotypes, leading to self-doubt and underperformance. The impact of stereotype threat can be significant, reinforcing existing inequalities and limiting opportunities for individuals to excel. 

References (maximum three) 

Lambert WT Schuwirth and Cees P M Van Der Vleuten. Programmatic assessment: From assessment of learning to assessment for learning. Medical Teacher 2011;33: 478-485 

Nguyen, H. H. D., & Ryan, A. M. (2008). Does stereotype threat affect test performance of minorities and women? A meta-analysis of experimental evidence. Journal of applied psychology, 93(6), 1314.