Clinical psychology PhD students' admission experiences: Implications for recruiting racial/ethnic minority and LGBTQ students

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study was to explore differences in the clinical psychology PhD program admissions experience (i.e., interviewing and decision-making) by race/ ethnicity and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) identity. Methods: Participants were 803 students (24% racial/ethnic minority; 19% LGBTQ) enrolled in US clinical psychology PhD programs. Two-group comparisons tested for differences in admission experiences by race/ethnicity and LGBTQ identity. Results: Racial/ethnic minority and LGBTQ students considered a programmatic commitment to diversity as more important in application decisions compared to non-Hispanic White and cisgender heterosexual students, respectively. LGBTQ students were more likely to be advised to not discuss personal information (e.g., sexual orientation) than cisgender heterosexual students. Racial/ethnic minority and LGBTQ students identified financial considerations and program outcomes as more important in their decision-making compared with non-Hispanic White and cisgender heterosexual students, respectively. Conclusion: Increasing funding and fostering authentic training environments should be prioritized in institutional conversations around recruiting racial/ethnic minority and LGBTQ trainees.

Determining the Attitudes of Medicine Faculty Instructors Toward LGBT Individuals

“…Although we found no studies focusing on homophobia among medical faculty, our results were congruent with various studies in many societies, which reveal moderate homophobia. [9][10][11][12] The striking result was that homophobia scores of faculties of medical school, who are the trainers of future physicians, are no lower than general population. Furthermore, results demonstrated in Table 1 show that more than half the faculty have some homophobic attitudes regarding most of the items on HRH.…”

Evaluating the “visit day” tool for supporting underrepresented and/or marginalized students in applying to doctoral programs.

“…At the most basic level, hosting a visit day conveys a program's value for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Value signaling alone is insufficient, but value signaling may increase the likelihood that talented students from underrepresented backgrounds will apply to the program, considering that PGM students consider a program's commitment to diversity as an important factor in deciding whether to apply (Hsueh et al, 2021).…”

Mental health concerns and barriers to care among future clinical psychologists

“…In analyzing and interpreting survey data, it is important that programs do not rely solely on summary statistics or predominant themes, as minority students' experiences may be lost with such an approach. It is also critical that programs respond in meaningful ways to feedback provided in these surveys and take steps to actively promote an authentically inclusive and affirming environment for students with diverse experiences (Hsueh et al, 2020). Such steps may involve updating program mission and diversity statements, policies, and handbooks; revising curriculum offerings to encompass the work of diverse scholars, cultures, and historical racism and colonialism across society and within psychology; and forming diversity committees.…”