Race and Gender Differences in Medical Student Perspectives on Social Determinants of Health Education: A Single-Institution Survey Study

Abstract

Purpose The field of medicine is becoming increasingly aware of the role that social determinants of health (SDH) play in shaping health and health outcomes. Organized medicine – including prominent physician groups and accreditation bodies – has endorsed SDH education as an integral component of medical school curricula. This study sought to describe medical student perspectives on the current state of SDH in preclinical curricula. Methods The authors developed a 9-item survey to assess time being spent on SDH and attitudes toward the current level of SDH content in preclinical curricula. All medical students at both campuses of a large public medical school were invited to participate between December 2019 and February 2020. Results Of 1010 medical students invited to participate, 515 (51.0%) responded. Of the 515 respondents, 480 (93.2%) reported spending at least 40 hours per week on medical school, and of those, 405 (84.4%) said they spend 0–2 hours on SDH. The majority of all respondents (62.1%; 320/515) felt the current level of focus on SDH is “not enough”, while only eleven students (2.1%; 11/515) felt it is “too much”. In a multiple logistic model, Black students were over four times as likely as white students (aOR 4.19; 95% CI 1.37–18.38) to feel the current level of focus on SDH is “not enough”. Likewise, women were 2.3-times (aOR 2.30; 95% CI 1.52–3.49) as likely as men to feel the level of focus on SDH is “not enough”. Conclusion In practice, medical students are spending considerably less time learning SDH than is advised by consensus of expert educators and administrators. Over sixty percent of medical students do not feel the current level of focus on SDH is sufficient. Further study is needed to determine why women and racial minority students are significantly more likely to feel this way.

Increasing inclusion & competency in STEM: Understanding LGBTQ+ history, barriers, and heteronormativity

“…Trans and nonbinary people in particular report negative experiences with health care providers [63], increasing avoidance of services and exacerbating mental health concerns [e.g., 66]. Medical schools and workplace training do not prepare students to work with LGBTQ+ [67,68] or BIPOC [69][70][71] clients adequately, creating further disparities for BIPOC LGBTQ+ clients [72][73][74] Many medical students are likely relying on self-education for LGBTQ+ competency [75], or medical professionals may claim LGBTQ+ proficiency through false equivalency with other minoritized identities [68].…”

Community partnerships in medical education: Narratives of medical students

“…However, these determinants often cannot be easily addressed through conventional clinical and healthcare means. Literature from the United States highlights how medical education fails to emphasise this important aspect of health, with over 60% of medical students stating that not enough focus is given to the study of SDH [10]. Community placements provide opportunities for students to understand the SDH, their impact on individuals and the power of the voluntary sector to effect change at a community level.…”