Unpacking the Social Constructs of Discrimination, Othering, and Belonging in Medical Schools

Abstract

Issue: Triggered by the lived experiences of the authors–one junior career, female, and black; the other senior career, male, and black–we provide a critical, sociological overview of the plight of racial/ethnic minority students in medical education. We analyze the concepts of categorization, othering, and belonging in medical education, which we use to shed light on the psychological and academic consequences of overgeneralizing social categories. Evidence: The ability to categorize people into different social groups is a natural, subconscious phenomenon. Creating social groups is believed to aid people in navigating the world. This permits people to relate to others based on assumed opinions and actions. Race and gender are two primary dimensions of categorization, with race or ethnicity being a particularly salient category. However, over-generalization of social categories can lead the categorizer to think, judge, and treat themselves and members of a perceived group similarly, leading to prejudice and stereotyping. Social categorization also occurs in educational settings across the globe. The consequences of categorization may influence a student’s feelings of belonging and academic success. Implications: Our analysis reflects on how to promote equitable opportunities for ethnic minority medical trainees through the lens of those who have experienced and succeeded in an inequitable system. By revisiting the social and psychological constructs that determine and influence the academic progress and success of minority students in medical education, we discovered that more engagement is (still) needed for critical discourse on this topic. We expect such conversations to help generate new insights to improve inclusion and equity in our educational systems.