Black and African American Residents' Perspectives of Racial Affinity Groups in a Pediatric Residency Program

Racial affinity groups have emerged in residency training programs as part of inclusion and anti-racism efforts; however, their use in medical education is less studied. This study explores Black/African American pediatric residents' perspectives on racial affinity groups during residency training.

We conducted semi-structured interviews with Black/African American pediatric resident physicians, including recent graduates, at a large, university-affiliated pediatric residency program. We generated themes using reflexive thematic analysis and a conceptual framework of counter-spaces.

We identified 3 major themes and 9 subthemes from 12 interviews. Themes include: (1) Centering Shared Experiences, (2) Transforming Experiences into Collective Learnings, and (3) Missed Opportunities to Further Learning and Connection. Residents perceived participation in racial affinity groups as opportunities to explore their shared experiences with racism, bias, and microaggressions, develop kinship bonds, and learn together and from one another. Inconsistent institutional support, time constraints during residency training, and the complexities of addressing intersecting identities were perceived as challenging aspects of their experiences.

Kinship and collective learning were consistent elements embedded throughout Black/African American pediatric residents' perspectives on participating in racial affinity groups. Residency leadership considering the implementation of racial affinity groups into curricular efforts should consider ways to provide consistent institutional support, address residency time constraints, and incorporate conversations about intersectionality in these experiences.