Inclusion and diversity within medical education: a focus group study of students’ experiences

Abstract

Background/introduction As patient populations become more diverse, it is imperative that future physicians receive proper training in order to provide the best quality of care. This study examines medical students' perceptions of how prepared they are in dealing with a diverse population and assesses how included and supported the students felt during their studies. Methods Four semi-structured focus groups were held with medical students across all years of the medical study program of a Dutch university. Focus group transcripts were analyzed thematically. Results Students’ experiences could be categorized as follows: (1) (Minority) identities and personal motivations, (2) Understanding of diversity and an inclusive learning environment, (3) Diversity in education, (4) Experiences of exclusion, (5) Experiences of inclusion, and (6) Lack of awareness. The key findings from the focus groups were that students perceived a lack of diversity and awareness in medical education and were convinced of the need to incorporate diversity to a greater extent and were personally motivated to contribute to incorporating diversity in the curriculum. Students also shared exclusion experiences such as stereotypes and prejudices but also some inclusion experiences such as feelings of belonging. Conclusion Based on our findings, it is recommended that medical schools incorporate diversity education into their curriculum so that health professionals can provide the best quality of care for their diverse patient populations. This education should also ensure that all students feel included in their medical education program.

Evidence-based strategies for creating age-inclusive campuses.

“…Inclusion initiatives in higher education have been adept at attending to the perspectives of key stakeholders, particularly through the use of climate surveys, which can provide an accurate reading of respondents’ perceptions of the campus culture and suggest concrete steps for initiatives to be implemented (Lombardi et al, 2011; Marchiondo et al, 2023). Focus groups, too, have been useful for gathering perspectives about inclusivity from underrepresented members of the campus community, especially with the aim to raise awareness among other stakeholder groups (Gibson et al, 2016; Haslerig et al, 2013; Moreu et al, 2021; Verbree et al, 2023). While these methods have proven consistently useful for addressing the perspectives of specific groups, vital to age inclusion is the ability to involve the participation of all campus community members in the process of addressing ageism and inclusivity.…”

interdisciplinaire bachelorstudent als wetenschapsantropoloog

“…Trefwoorden interdisciplinair onderwijs, omgaan met verschil, reflectie, sociaal constructivisme, wetenschapsantropologie, minderheidsstudenten Zwarte en andere minderheidsstudenten brengen een ander 'cultureel kapitaal' (Adkins en Skeggs red., 2004) mee naar de universiteit en zij moeten zich dus niet alleen socialiseren in de universitaire wereld, maar zij moeten ook hun achtergrond zien te integreren in die wereld. Dat komt doordat de universitaire wereld vaak nog niet voor hun komst gereedgemaakt is (Verbree et al, 2023). Sommige onderwijsonderzoekers adviseren om de wetenschapsantropologie in te zetten voor epistemologische emancipatie van deze studenten.…”

Bridging the gap: Understanding the barriers and facilitators to performance for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic medical students in the United Kingdom

“…[20][21][22] With the exception of several national studies on racism from the United States, 18,[23][24][25] published papers of empirical research describe the results from mainly single (e.g. 3,20,22,[26][27][28][29][30][31] ) or very small clusters of medical schools (e.g. 6,32,33 ).…”

“…Less supportive learning environments, including poorer social networks and lower social capital compared to white majority students, and poor understanding of cultural and identity factors have also been documented 20–22 . With the exception of several national studies on racism from the United States, 18,23–25 published papers of empirical research describe the results from mainly single (e.g 3,20,22,26–31 6,32,33 …”