Racism in medicine: A qualitative study on the impact of discussion among medical students

Abstract

Background: This study evaluated the impact of the Racism in Medicine Summit on student perceptions of various topics related to racism in medicine. The Summit was organized at the Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM) to educate students, faculty and staff on how structural racism affects the residents of Detroit and the historical relationship between healthcare and vulnerable populations. The Summit aimed at providing context for what students in Detroit will encounter as physicians-in-training and the skills they will need to master while working within similar communities. Methods: Qualtrics surveys were created and distributed via email to attendees before and after the event. Responses were obtained via Likert scale and open-text questions. Results: A total of 342 out of 445 participants (77%) completed both the pre- and post-survey. Quantitative analysis in post-survey responses revealed more familiarity among participants regarding specific instances of racism in the history of medicine, greater extent of thinking the history of racism impacts present-day Detroit residents, greater extent of thinking that racism influences medical care and/or medical outcomes, and belief that racism is reflected in medical research, compared to pre-survey responses (p < 0.001). Participants also reported more often considering racial or societal influences when studying medicine and more knowledge of what they can do to combat racism as a student and physician (p < 0.001). Qualitative analysis revealed seven themes among participants: the history of racism in medicine, personal reflection, racism in research, bias and microaggression, actions to take against racism, resources for anti-racist education, and racism in medical education. Conclusions: Demonstrable changes in medical student attitude and awareness surrounding topics of racism and healthcare were achieved after the Racism in Medicine Summit. This can serve as a model for other medical schools to raise awareness about racism in medicine.