When I don't see me, am I seen? Race and student perception of the surgery clerkship (11 December 2023)

Summary

Increasing interest in general surgery from students who are Under-Represented in Medicine (URiM) is vital to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. This study in The American Journal of Surgery examined medical student third year surgery clerkship evaluations quantitatively and qualitatively to understand the experiences of URiM and non-URiM learners.

The authors found that URiM students are less likely than non-URiM students to see surgical residents and faculty as positive role models. They highlight that integrating medical students into the team, taking time to teach and allowing students to feel valued in their roles improves the clerkship experience for trainees and can contribute to recruitment efforts.