How racism influences where medical students say they want to practice

A survey of nearly 4,000 medical students from 49 schools finds that racism — both implicit and explicit — seems to influence the students’ decision on whether to practice in communities of color or underserved communities. Medical students were surveyed as first-years and then again in their third or fourth year of school. Researchers found that students who had more negative racial attitudes or who went to school with many minority students tended to have less of an intention to practice in communities with minority populations. Students who were enrolled in schools with curricula that focused on improving the health of minorities and students who interacted more with black faculty and students were more likely to want to serve in underrepresented communities. The findings underscore the need to better understand racism in medical education, the authors write.