Bioethics in Medical Education: Training Future Physicians to Address Systemic Racism

ABSTRACT Systemic racism continues to plague the medical field, contributing to persistent health disparities, inequitable treatment, and deep mistrust among marginalized communities. Medical schools hold a critical responsibility in reversing this trend by training future physicians to recognize, confront, and dismantle racism in healthcare. This narrative review explores the intersection of bioethics education and antiracism efforts in US medical schools. It outlines how systemic racism manifests in clinical practice and medical training, documents current institutional responses—including curriculum reforms, pipeline programs, and faculty diversity initiatives—and critically evaluates the gaps and inconsistencies in bioethics instruction. Drawing from historical injustices and contemporary data, the review highlights how ethical frameworks rooted in justice, autonomy, and non‐maleficence can guide future physicians toward more equitable decision‐making. The article argues for the standardization of bioethics education across medical institutions, emphasizing moral reasoning, cultural humility, and social justice. Recommendations include strengthening faculty training, conducting longitudinal outcome studies, forming community partnerships, and implementing structural accountability mechanisms. By embedding antiracist bioethics throughout medical education, institutions can cultivate clinicians equipped to deliver just, culturally competent, and ethical care for all patients.