The Art of Becoming: Professional Identity Formation of Black Women in Medicine and Pharmacy

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 7:45 am - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Exploring Identity Formation: Underrepresented Learners' Experiences in the Professons

Abstract

This narrative inquiry explores how Black women in medicine and pharmacy describe the role of racial identity and experiential knowledge in shaping their professional identity formation (PIF) prior to residency. Drawing on personal statements written for medical school, pharmacy school, and residency programs, this grounded study utilizes PIF (Cruess et al., 2014) and Critical Race Theory (Solórzano & Yosso, 2001) to examine how participants navigate institutional expectations and community-rooted values as they construct professional identities. Findings reveal participants integrate social justice commitments and interdisciplinary expertise into their medical identities. This work contributes to Educational Psychology and medical professional development by offering a counter-narrative that calls for culturally affirming andragogy and programmatic practices that redefine preparedness in the health professions.

Author

• Ashley M. Leach, University of Southern California