Exploring Residents' Beliefs Regarding the Role of Race in Clinical Decision-Making: A Qualitative Study

Background Race has long been treated as a biological determinant in medicine, and many US faculty still reference it in clinical contexts. As the field shifts away from this model, the medical community faces the challenge of addressing how race shapes patients' experiences and outcomes without reinforcing harmful practices. Internal medicine residents must navigate this transition amid conflicting guidance on incorporating race into clinical reasoning. Understanding how residents currently conceptualize and apply race in clinical contexts is essential to preparing them to deliver equitable, patient-centered care. Objective To understand residents' beliefs regarding race in clinical decision-making. Methods We conducted a qualitative study using semistructured interviews with residents from 3 US internal medicine residency programs within a single institution between February and April 2023. Participants were recruited via email, presented with a clinical vignette, and asked about clinical management and the impact of race on their decisions. We conducted an inductive thematic analysis to identify emergent themes and interpreted the findings through Jean Piaget's framework of cognitive conflict and learning. Results Twenty-four residents completed the study. Three main themes emerged: (1) a persistent belief in race-based medicine where beliefs and clinical reasoning aligned around the idea of race as biological; (2) a disequilibrium defined by discrepancy between beliefs and clinical reasoning; and (3) a new equilibrium marked by alignment around race as a social construct and recognition of racism's impact on individual health. Conclusions Residents described dissonance between understanding race as a social construct and encountering clinical norms treating it as biological, revealing a process of questioning and reframing how race is used in clinical care.