Submission ID 77984
| Code | OF-2-1 |
|---|---|
| At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: | |
| Category | Medical Education |
| Type | Oral |
| Will the presenter be a: | Student |
| Title | Blackness in Medical Education: A Qualitative Inquiry |
| Background/Purpose | Despite Black students being among the most underrepresented students in Canadian medical schools, there is a dearth of Canadian literature exploring their experiences in an educational system built around whiteness. This qualitative study explores Black students' perspectives regarding the ways their blackness has impacted their medical school journey and their perceived needs for thriving in their medical careers. |
| Methods | 9 Black medical students from Ontario (4), Quebec (2), Atlantic (1), and Western Canada (2) participated in 60-90 minute-long 1-on-1 semi-structured interviews conducted by other Black medical students. Interviews were in English or French. Using the DEPICT method of qualitative analysis and a critical race theoretical framework, we examined students' experiences of admissions, curriculum, and their knowledge and capacity-building needs. Concepts such as intersectionality, institutionalized racism, and anti-essentialism were the structural backdrop against which participants' narratives are explored. |
| Results | From preliminary analysis, participants experienced minority tax/stress and isolation/exclusion secondary to under-representation. Additionally, they experienced challenges related to equity illiteracy around blackness in medicine and medical racism in curriculum. |
| Discussion | Black students experience many challenges due to institutionalized racism in Canadian medical education. These challenges signal the importance of current equity initiatives for Black students in medicine. This first of its kind study will shed some light on some factors contributing to under-representation of Black medical students in Canada and form a foundation for future research and programmatic innovations involving these students. |
| Keyword 1 | Black |
| Keyword 2 | Race |
| Keyword 3 | Equity |
| Abstract Track - First Choice | Black Health & Wellness |
| Black Health & Wellness | Racial Equity in Health Care & The Learning Environment Afro-centric Ways of Knowing Anti-Black Racism and Social Transformation |
| Authors | Bolade Shipeolu Asli Fuad Clara Osei-Yeboah Jane Wanjiru LLana James Stephanie Nixon Maria Hubinette Gbolahan Olarewaju Gbolahan Olarewaju |
