Abstract
Background
Professionalism in the medical environment is a complex construct, dependent as much on the learner as on the context and climate. There are no data on how experiences of learners, related to professionalism, vary by learner ethnicity.
Purpose
Explore ethnic differences in medical student experiences of professionalism.
Methods
Quantitative and qualitative data from a survey of medical students exploring opinions and experiences related to professionalism were used. Two investigators categorized narratives into themes. Statistical analyses included Fisher’s exact and Wilcoxon tests.
Results
114 of 331 (34%) students (55% Caucasian) responded. Caucasians more frequently (73% versus 43%, p 0.002) found peer role models to be effective teachers of professionalism. Non-Caucasians more often reported unprofessional behaviors from faculty, staff or administration (55% versus 39%, p 0.03); these pertained more commonly to interpersonal interactions.
Conclusions
Compared to other ethnicities, Caucasian students identify peer role models more frequently as teachers of professionalism. Non-Caucasian students more often report unprofessional behaviors from faculty, staff, or administration. This may arise from differences in perception, true bias or both.
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Butani, L., Iosif, AM., Kelley, A. et al. Racial-Ethnic Differences in Medical Students’ Experiences of Professionalism: A Mixed-Methods Study. Med.Sci.Educ. 23, 259–268 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03341629
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03341629