This interactive focus session introduces restorative justice (RJ) as a framework for addressing harm, building trust, and strengthening resilience within academic medicine communities. Traditional approaches to conflict and bias in medical education often rely on compliance or discipline, leaving relationships strained and institutional cultures unchanged. RJ offers an alternative grounded in dialogue, accountability, and community repair—principles that align with the core values of medicine, including healing and care.

The 90-minute session begins with a brief overview of RJ principles and their relevance to academic medicine, followed by small-group case discussions exploring conflicts such as student–faculty tensions, microaggressions in clinical teaching, and departmental policy disputes. Using restorative questions—Who was harmed? What is needed? Who is responsible?—participants will analyze each case and consider restorative responses. Large-group integration will highlight shared insights, and a short skills practice will introduce RJ dialogue techniques.

By session’s end, participants will leave with a deeper understanding of RJ, practical strategies for implementation, and concrete steps for fostering resilient, trust-based academic communities.

Learning Outcomes

1. They will be able to define restorative justice (RJ) in the context of medical education and articulate how it differs from punitive or compliance-driven approaches. Participants will leave with language to describe RJ as a framework rooted in healing, accountability, and resilience that aligns with the professional values of the medical field.
2. Participants will learn to apply RJ principles to real-world academic medicine scenarios. Through case-based discussions on issues such as student–faculty conflict, microaggressions in clinical teaching, and departmental rifts, they will practice identifying who was harmed, what needs must be addressed, and what restorative actions are possible. These exercises will build capacity to analyze harm and propose constructive, community-centered responses.
3. Participants will have the opportunity to practice restorative dialogue techniques, including circle prompts and restorative questioning. This experiential activity will provide hands-on familiarity with tools that can be adapted for use in classrooms, clerkships, faculty meetings, and mentoring conversations.
4. Participants will identify concrete steps to bring RJ into their own institutional contexts. Through closing reflections, they will commit to at least one pathway for implementation, whether in policy development, student support, or faculty development.