Belonging in Practice: Racial Affinity Group Caucusing and Professional Identity Formation in Pediatric Residency

• In Event: Belonging and Becoming: Racial Affinity Group Caucus Pedagogy in Medical Education

Abstract

Despite the demonstrated benefits of RAGC in conjunction with antiracism curriculum, gaps remain in its application within medical and health-related professional education. While Racial affinity groups (RAG) have been studied extensively in K-12 and undergraduate education, their use in medical education is underexplored. Research demonstrates that RAGs can provide a protective space for adult professional learners of color develop a sense of belonging and support, foster critical consciousness, and navigate professional identity development within the context of structural inequities.

This paper highlights the experiences of racially minoritized medical residents participating in racial affinity groups in conjunction with a comprehensive antiracism curriculum in a large, urban academic residency program. ‘Racially minoritized’, used in this study to reference individuals and groups actively rendered minorities through systemic, structural, and institutional exclusion and marginalization, despite their global demographic or numerical majority. We sought to understand medical residents' experiences in RAGC and examine RAGC's role in fostering residents’ sense of belonging and professional identity formation (PIF).

Qualitative methods were employed to perform semi-structured interviews with 10 racially minoritized physicians who participated in RAGC sessions during their residency training. Two authors independently analyzed all qualitative data by thematic content analysis informed by Black Feminist Epistemological Methodology (BFEM). BFEM draws from Black Feminist Thought (BFT) to center lived experience, reciprocal dialogue, and an ethic of care and accountability in the research process. Grounded in the epistemologies of Black women, BFEM challenges dominant Western frameworks by validating knowledge co-created through relational, emotionally engaged, and dialogic exchange. Interviews were designed as collaborative meaning-making processes, with the researcher engaging participants in reflexive dialogue to honor and verify their interpretations of RAGC experiences in medical training.

Three key themes were identified: 1) RAGCs fostered psychological safety 2) the RAGC space improved a sense of belonging in both the residency program and the profession of medicine, and 3) RAGCs catalyzed and supported the integration of a residents’ professional and racialized identities, contrary to the assimilation pressure in the biomedical sciences which often requires learners to suppress aspects of their racialized & cultural identities.
Participants described RAGC not only as a space providing psychological safety but also as a space where they could practice aligning their racial and professional identities without the pressure to conform to dominant norms. The concept of "not having to explain what is understood," as one participant stated, captured the relief and affirmation many felt. This cultural shorthand fostered trust, deepened reflection, and reduced cognitive and emotional burdens frequently borne by minoritized residents. Findings further indicate that RAGCs increase belongingness, nurture critical consciousness, and validate identity integration as a legitimate and necessary part of professional development. This paper argues that by providing structured, identity-affirming environments, RAGC served as a transformative tool toward inclusive and justice-driven PIF.

Authors

• Jyothi Marbin, University of California – San Francisco

• Leanna Lewis, University of California - Berkeley

• Camila Cribb Fabersunne, University of California

• Camila DePierola, University of California - San Francisco

• Faheemah N. Mustafaa, University of California - Davis