Submission ID 78063
| Code | OE-2-1 |
|---|---|
| At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: | |
| Category | Medical Education |
| Type | Oral |
| Will the presenter be a: | Resident |
| Title | Underrepresented in Medicine: Filipino-Canadian Student Experiences Pursuing A Medical Career |
| Background/Purpose | Improving equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) is a priority of medical schools across Canada to develop a physician workforce that reflects the diversity of the Canadian population. Despite being one of the largest visible minorities, there is a lack of Filipinos in Canadian medical schools and a paucity of available research. Understanding why this underrepresentation exists underscores the need for this study. This presentation shares the experiences of Filipino-Canadian post-secondary school students pursuing a medical career. |
| Methods | Twenty students from a single institution participated across five focus groups. Each one-hour focus group was audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymized, then independently coded for themes negotiated to reach saturation. Member checking was performed. |
| Results | Study findings clustered around three main themes. Individual and Family Factors included limited knowledge of pursuing medicine; nursing as a known career path; and length of time in Canada. Socioeconomic Conditions focused on the school environment, financial constraints, and social capital. Filipino Sociocultural Factors emphasized the family-centric mindset and "barkada" (group) mentality of Filipinos. |
| Discussion | EDI work should not be a "one size fits all" solution. This study recommends tailoring EDI initiatives for Filipino-Canadians interested in pursuing a medical career that are research-informed. |
| Keyword 1 | Equity, Diversity, Inclusion |
| Keyword 2 | Underrepresentation |
| Keyword 3 | Filipino |
| Abstract content most relevant to: (check all that apply) | Undergraduate Medical Education |
| Abstract Track - First Choice | Equity, Diversity and Inclusion |
| Authors | Gian Agtarap Gian Agtarap Marck Mercado Ivy Oandasan |
