Submission ID 78268
| Code | OA-4-3 |
|---|---|
| At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to: | |
| Category | Medical Education |
| Type | Oral |
| Will the presenter be a: | Other |
| Presenter Other | Faculty |
| Title | Diversity of Medical School Applicants and Matriculants in Canada |
| Background/Purpose | The diversity of medical school applicants and matriculants is not well documented in Canada. Understanding these demographics is necessary for medical schools to address underrepresentation of applicants from marginalized identities. |
| Methods | Applicants to the Cumming School of Medicine's 2020-2021 cycle were invited to participate following submission of the application, before file review began. The Rank Equity Index (REI) was used to estimate the representation of demographic groups throughout the phase of the application cycle (file review, interview, offer). |
| Results | Of the 988 applicants who opened the survey (open rate 54%), 595 (response rate 32%) consented to participate and answered at least one question. Most applicants identified as cisgender women (n=382, 64.2%) and <5% identified as gender diverse. White (n=329, 55.3%) and Asian (n=168, 28.2%) were the most common racial identities. White cisgender women were most underrepresented in the matriculating class compared to their proportion in the total application pool (REI 0.70). White and BIPOC cisgender men were nearly exactly represented among applicants and matriculants (0.97 and 0.96, respectively). All intersectional identities had an REI near 1.00 for accepting an offer of admission. |
| Discussion | In this survey of applicants to a single Canadian medical school, the diversity of the matriculating class was similar to that of the applicant pool. This suggests that the underrepresentation of certain groups may be due to barriers and attitudes encountered prior to the medical school application process rather than admission process related factors. Future research should strive to identify what these barriers may be. |
| Keyword 1 | Admissions |
| Keyword 2 | Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion |
| Keyword 3 | |
| Abstract content most relevant to: (check all that apply) | Undergraduate Medical Education |
| Abstract Track - First Choice | Admissions |
| Authors | Rabiya Jalil Shannon Ruzycki Rabiya Jalil Pam Roach Makela Nkemdirim Remo Panaccione |
