‘It made me a better doctor’: AAN course promotes equity in neurology
June 25, 2025
The AAN’s Anti-racism ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú Program is a practical way for neurology professionals to understand how racism affects the health care system—and how to recognize and challenge it—to ultimately provide better patient care.
The program is available to AAN members for free. It’s an on-demand, self-paced curriculum designed to be completed over several months, allowing time for reflection between modules, and up to 16 CME credits are available.
“The ultimate goal of the program is to inspire neurologists and neurology professionals to take action within their own practices and institutions to recognize and challenge racism—and to advance equity for colleagues and patients,” said Nimish A. Mohile, MD, FAAN, chair of the AAN Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
The program’s four modules cover topics including the history of racism in neurology, member experiences with bias and racism, patient care stories, and how racism can affect institutions. Learning objectives include practicing skills to improve patient care, identifying racism and inequities within systems that can affect health care outcomes, and learning how to apply a racial equity framework to clinical practice and health care systems.
“These are challenging topics,” said Alissa A. Thomas, MD, FAAN, a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and the Research Program Subcommittee. “It can be challenging to find the right words, challenging to know when to speak up, and to feel confident doing so. I think these modules have a way of pushing your own comfort level and allowing you to self-reflect, but also building your confidence and giving you tools to intervene if you witness racism.”
Thomas took the course in 2022, later served as a program facilitator, and has continued to revisit the material since. She said while there are many resources on health equity, the Anti-racism ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú Program is unique in its focus on neurology and neurological care—making it a rich source of information for AAN members—and that it has helped many participants.
“Some of it is just comfort in being able to find words to talk about and identify these challenges,” she said. “People come into health care with all different levels of knowledge and prior experience, so being able to think about the perspective they’re bringing to the table has been very helpful. I think it made me a better doctor, not just more conscientious about how I’m treating my patients, but also what my patients’ experience in the health care system in general might be like.”
Learn more about the Anti-racism ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉú Program. Guides for both participants and facilitators are available to assist in going through the modules.