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Health professions school applicant experiences of discrimination during interviews
Avik Chatterjee1,2, Spencer Dunleavy3, Tiffany Gonzalez4
1Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Medical Teacher
|November 12, 2022
Summary
Bias in healthcare admissions is common. Applicants from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and non-native English speakers are more likely to face discrimination during interviews for health profession education programs.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare admissions
- Health professions education
- Socioeconomic disparities
Background:
- Bias is pervasive in healthcare, impacting workforce diversity.
- Admissions interviews are a potential site for discrimination against applicants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate discrimination experiences during health professions education admissions interviews.
- To identify factors associated with experiencing discrimination.
Main Methods:
- A survey was administered to US and Canadian health professions education applicants (January-June 2021).
- The Everyday Discrimination Scale was adapted to assess interview-related discrimination.
- Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyzed associations between identity factors and discrimination.
Main Results:
- 25.2% of 1115 respondents reported discrimination in interviews.
- Lower socioeconomic status (OR: 1.78) and non-native English speakers (OR: 1.76) were significantly more likely to experience discrimination.
- Nearly half of those experiencing discrimination did not report it.
Conclusions:
- Discrimination is frequently reported by health professions education applicants.
- Interviewer and institutional reforms are necessary to reduce discrimination.
- Strategies include interviewer training and institutional commitment to health equity.
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