Bridging the gap: the roles of social capital and ethnicity in medical student achievement

Abstract

ObjectivesWithin medical education, patterns of achievement indicate that white students outperform their ethnic minority peers. The processes behind these patterns have not been adequately investigated or explained. This study utilises social network analysis to investigate the impact of relationships on medical student achievement by ethnicity, specifically by examining homophily (the tendency to interact with others in the same group) by ethnicity, age and role. MethodsData are presented from a cross-sectional social network study in one UK medical school, analysed alongside examination records obtained from the medical school. Participants were sampled across the four hospital placement sites at this university, a total of 159 medical students in their clinical phase (year 3) completed the survey. The research was designed and analysed using social capital theory. ResultsAlthough significant patterns of ethnic and religious homophily existed, no link was found between these factors and achievement. Interacting with PBL group peers in study-related activities, and having seniors in a wider academic support network were directly linked to better achievement.Students in higher academic quartiles were more likely to name at least one tutor or clinician in their network. Different patterns of relationship formation and social network features were observed by ethnicity. Students from non-white, Muslim and lower achieving groups are least likely to have indicate the social capital enabling and resulting from interaction with members from more expert social groups. 3 ConclusionsLower levels of the social capital that mediates interaction with peers, tutors and clinicians may be the cause of underperformance by ethnic minority students. Due to gaps in their social network, minority students may be cut off from potential and actual resources that facilitate learning and achievement.4

Tertiary Academic Success: A Review of Factors in the Context of Ecological Model

“…An important reason of this finding might be the academic and social stress that foreign students face due to adjustment problems (Rienties et al, 2012). Another reason might be the lack of social network that minimizes facilitative resources for success (Vaughan, Sanders, Crossley, O'neill, & Wass, 2014). In contrast to findings mentioned above, in a study among Malaysian university students, foreign students were found to be more successful than the natives (Ainin et al, 2015).…”

“…In a large cross-institutional comparative study at five business schools in the Netherlands, Rienties et al (2012) found native and foreign students were similarly successful. This similarity of success was also found in a study among an American medical university students (Vaughan et al, 2014). Rienties et al (2012) also noted that academic adjustment was the main predictor of academic success for all ethnic groups.…”

Ethnic and social disparities in different types of examinations in undergraduate pre-clinical training

“…It might be that the negative effects on learning of ethnic homophily (the tendency to interact with others in the same group) which has been reported in medical students (Vaughan et al 2015; Woolf et al 2012) are more profound for this type of examinations. Ethnic homophily may cut off minority students from resources that facilitate learning (Vaughan et al 2015), which might be particularly important for an examination that requires a high level of self-organised, informal learning.…”

Emergent achievement segregation in freshmen learning community networks

“…What makes lower achievers connect less with others when these connections would be quite useful? First, lower achievers may have difficulties in approaching their fellow students if they do not have the social skills necessary for asking support (Cleland et al 2005;Todres et al 2012;Vaughan et al 2015). Second, lower achievers may be excluded from the support of higher achievers when higher achievers select each other for academic support and only lower achievers remain available for lower achievers.…”