Diversifying the Case Study: How Far Has Physiology Education Come in Integrating Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion into the Curricula?

The paper emphasizes the need for greater equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in physiology education. It critiques the prevalent use of the "textbook person" model, a 21-25 year old, 70 kg male, which represents only 0.5% of the population, arguing that this model overlooks the physiological variations influenced by factors like age, sex, genetics, environment, and diet. The authors suggest that physiological education should present the "textbook person" as one of many versions of normal and should incorporate more diverse case studies to illustrate the impact of age, sex, race, and socioeconomic class on health outcomes. The paper includes perspectives from a final-year nursing student and a second-year medical student, who both advocate for a more comprehensive discussion of EDI issues and the role of genetics in health outcomes.