Black Medical School Students Continue to Have to Cope With Racial Discrimination

A study led by researchers at the medical schools of New York University and Yale University has found “an association between racial and ethnic discrimination and the effectiveness of medical schools in nurturing students’ personal and professional identity formation (PPIF). African American or Black students were less likely than their White counterparts to feel that medical school contributed to their development as a person and physician.” The study conducted a survey of 37 610 medical students who matriculated in 2014 or 2015. About 21 percent of these students were Black. Overall, 72.5 percent of respondents stated that medical school fostered their personnel development and 91.9 percent said their medical training facilitated their professional development. Among Black medical school students, 65.2 percent stated that medical school aided their personal development and 88.8 percent thought their professional development was enhanced by their experiences in medical school These rates were the lowest of any racial or ethnic group. Racial discrimination was inversely associated with development. Those experiencing isolated discrimination and recurrent discrimination had relatively lower likelihoods of PPIF. African American or Black students experienced the highest rate of recurrent discrimination. The authors concluded that “African American or Black students were less likely than...