“Social Justice is Kind of What We’re Known For”: Promoting Health Equity in U.S. Medical Schools

• In Event: 3129 - Section on Medical Sociology Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 26. Professional Training and Identity in Medicine

Abstract

Healer. Scientist. Advocate. Entrepreneur. Caregiver. When it comes to the professional identity of a physician, leaders in U.S. medical education gesture toward a composite of these multiple identities as an embodiment of a medical professional. Theoretically, federal and professional guidelines governing medical education ensure the standardized professionalization of medical students; however, sociologists of medical education have pointed to internal differentiation in professional identities, where Healer might be elevated above Entrepreneur, or Advocate over Researcher. These studies locate the sources of differentiation at the macro- or extra-professional level, failing to consider intra-professional sources of variation. Drawing upon national regulations, medical school program details, and in-depth interviews with medical educators and students, I theorize the role of the medical school in shaping the professional identity of medical students in the United States. I focus on the particular national standard of cultivating an awareness of and solution-oriented approach to health equity, explicating three dimensions of medical schools that differentially impact the medical student professionalization process: graduation requirements, hiring and admissions priorities, and institutional reputations.

Author

• Lauren D. Olsen, Temple University