Hidden Curriculum

Hidden Curriculum (HC) comprises the unwritten institutional norms and expectations that investigators are often assumed to know but are not explicitly taught.

HC presents greater challenges for trainees and junior faculty from underrepresented backgrounds, such as those based on race-ethnicity, sex, gender, disability, socioeconomic disadvantage, being a first-generation college graduate, or first-generation American. However, explicitly teaching the hidden curriculum can help overcome barriers to success commonly faced by these groups in academic settings.

Additionally, mentors of individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often need help understanding the issues their mentees face, as mentors often lack shared diversity characteristics and, therefore, lived experiences with their mentees.