Indigenous Australian medical students’ perceptions of their medical school training

Abstract

Both academic and non-academic factors affect the progression through training of Indigenous medical students. A number of individual and systemic interventions which actively encourage a range of support networks, increase confidence and coping skills, and reduce cultural clash by assertively addressing discrimination and stereotyping need to be introduced. The outcomes of this work may provide some guidance to medical schools engaged in implementing strategies to enroll and support Indigenous students.

What helps and hinders indigenous student success in higher education health programmes: a qualitative study using the Critical Incident Technique

“…Similar findings were found for indigenous medical students in Australia, who reported 'being affected by discrimination directed both at an individual student and at indigenous people as a group' (Garvey et al, 2009). Tertiary institutions have an important role to play in overcoming these issues by: (1) developing a curriculum that provides anti-racism education and explores white privilege (Borell, Gregory, McCreanor, & Jensen, 2009) and (2) enabling tertiary educators (clinical and non-clinical) to teach in culturally intelligent and responsive ways.…”

“…However, universities struggle to achieve equitable outcomes for all students with indigenous students having the highest rates of attrition and lowest rates of participation and success across university programmes (Garvey, Rolfe, Pearson, & Treloar, 2009;Madjar, McKinley, Deynzer, & van der Merwe, 2010a).…”

“…In 2010, the first-year tertiary student retention rate was 71% for Māori compared with 82% for Europeans (Education Counts, 2013). Explanations for the disparate success between indigenous and other tertiary students include: differential secondary education outcomes (Wikaire & Ratima, 2011); work/life balance pressures (Young, Stupans, Scutter, & Smith, 2007); financial burden of study; lack of mentoring/role modelling; cultural and social isolation; lack of culturally responsive teaching and learning (Airini et al, 2009;Curtis, Townsend, & Airini, 2012a); and lack of indigenous curricular content (Garvey et al, 2009;Wikaire & Ratima, 2011). In response to these issues, many tertiary institutions provide supplementary academic and pastoral support to indigenous students outside of the formal curriculum to aid success within undergraduate programmes (Airini et al, 2009;Prebble et al, 2004).…”

Predictors of academic success for Māori, Pacific and non-Māori non-Pacific students in health professional education: a quantitative analysis

“…In addition, some disparities in academic outcomes identified in this study remain unexplained. There is evidence that negative experiences in tertiary health study continue throughout the programme (Curtis et al 2014b;Garvey et al 2009), hence even equitable academic outcomes do not guarantee culturally safe and enjoyable experiences through tertiary study (Kaehne et al 2014;Zorlu 2013). Mayeda et al (2014) interviewed Māori and Pacific students across UoA who shared examples of both overt and subtle racist remarks often made by nMnP student peers and teaching staff.…”

“…However, tertiary institutions are failing to achieve equitable academic outcomes and show on-going trends of underachievement for indigenous and ethnic minority students in tertiary programmes (Garvey et al 2009;Madjar et al 2010a;The Sullivan Commission 2004;Zorlu 2013). Razack et al (2015) note that despite strategic commitments to widening participation globally, emphasis on academic performance in determining admission to medical school inevitably excludes those we are aiming to 'include' (Razack et al 2015).…”