Counternarratives of African American Women in U.S. Medical Schools

• In Event: AERA Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: Research Focus on Black Education SIG Poster Session (San Diego)

Abstract

This study aims to amplify African American women physicians’ voices and expose their experiences during their medical education in the US. Guided by Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and Black Feminist Thought, we investigated participants’ educational journeys, social interactions, barriers encountered, survival strategies, and available support. Data collected via in-depth individual interviews with six African American women physicians were analyzed by narrative analysis methods, specifically aiming to create a composite counternarrative. Participants’ counterstories contain common themes including exclusion, isolation, being undermined, microaggressions, and medical racism. Furthermore, results show that intersecting identity categories exacerbate African American women’s experiences in medical education. We end with a discussion of medical education institutions’ responsibilities for supporting African American women trainees and sustained anti-racism efforts.

Authors

• Shontell Blake, Dallas College

• Sebnem Cilesiz, University of Louisiana at Lafayette