Should we rethink how we teach cultural competency in physician assistant education?

Cultural competency training has traditionally been viewed as addressing race and ethnicity and its influence on health care disparity. There are many aspects of culture or diversity that have been overshadowed in physician assistant education but are equally as important. These cultural elements include socioeconomic status, religion, sexual orientation, and disability. This article will briefly discuss the importance of these elements and how each can affect the medical care of patients in these diverse populations.