Medical Students' Perspectives on Inclusivity Within Clinical Environments: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Workforce Studies
• Student Well-being

Background:

• Limited resources in UK National Health Service (NHS) environments create significant challenges for medical education and training.
• These pressures negatively affect medical students' mental health, leading to career doubts, attrition, or emigration.
• There is a lack of understanding regarding the inclusivity experiences of medical students in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore medical students' perspectives on their clinical learning environments.
• To identify barriers hindering positive change within these environments.
• To propose potential solutions for improving the medical student experience.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving six diverse clinical medical students from the University of Manchester.
• Four recorded focus groups were conducted, facilitated by a near-peer with protected characteristics.
• Thematic analysis of transcriptions was performed using NVivo by two independent reviewers.

Main Results:

• Positive interactions were noted with resident doctors.
• Negative experiences included patient interactions, staff attitudes, poor role modelling, and perceived lack of institutional support.
• Students reported poor learning opportunities and suggested staff training and enhanced support structures.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights universal issues faced by minoritised students, including low research participation.
• Recommendations include improving clinical faculty support and training.
• Innovations in study design are needed for more inclusive and culturally sensitive research participation.