Beyond the Surface: Exploring How Racism, Disconnectedness and Exclusion Shape Faculty Engagement in Continued...

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) (which includes Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Faculty Development (FD)) is essential for maintaining physician competency. However, participation in university-organized CPD at the University of Saskatchewan remains low, particularly among racialized physicians. Prior research identified racism, exclusion, and disconnectedness as barriers. This study revisits those findings through the lens of Belongingness and Social Identity Theories to examine how exclusion and identity-based harms shape CPD engagement.

We conducted a theory-informed sub-analysis of interview and focus group transcripts (n = 34) with physician faculty across rural and urban Saskatchewan. Participants represented various specialties and backgrounds. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to explore how unmet needs for belonging and identity affirmation influenced CPD participation.

Three key themes emerged: (1) CPD as a site of racialized othering and professional scrutiny; (2) tokenistic inclusion without recognition or meaningful support; and (3) withdrawal as a form of self-protection. Racialized physicians and International Medical Graduates (IMGs) often disengaged not from disinterest but due to psychological fatigue, identity invalidation, and exclusion.

CPD participation is shaped by more than topic relevance or logistics, it is profoundly affected by emotional safety, institutional culture, and inclusion. Programs that fail to reflect diverse identities or foster inclusive environments risk reinforcing alienation. CPD must be reimagined as a relational, psychologically safe space. To foster equitable engagement, inclusion and representation must be embedded as foundational design principles, not treated as optional enhancements.