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Background: Understanding social determinants of health (SDH) is an essential component of pediatric health care delivery yet remains an underemphasized competency in residency education. SDH have been shown to be a risk factor for poor outcomes in almost every pediatric disease. We believe competency in SDH furthers physicians understanding of the structural environments in which patients live while simultaneously allowing for the delivery of individualized, effective and empathetic care.

Objectives: To evaluate baseline empathy levels of pediatric residents and examine the extent to which a curriculum on SDH increases empathy and increases residents comfort with exploring patients SDH.

Design/Methods: We developed an empathy-based learning curriculum which practices approaching patient interactions by reflecting on one's own background and relating them to the experiences of patients. The …