PERCEIVED BARRIERS AND BIASES IN THE MEDICAL-EDUCATION EXPERIENCE BY GENDER AND RACE

This study examined barriers and biases in the medical education exper ience by surveying fourth-year medical students. There were 270 Female and 288 male respondents; their racial background was: 21% Asian, 13% underrepresented minorities, and 66% white. Women reported that the c areers they were encouraged to pursue were affected by their gender (4 4% versus 15%) and they were often mistaken For a nonphysician (92% ve rsus 3%). More importantly, women reported that the lack of a mentor o f either gender as a large barrier (27% versus 19%). Underrepresented minorities reported that their race caused them to feel that they had to be twice as good to be treated as an equal to other students (52% v ersus 6%). Underrepresented minorities identified the lack of a same-r ace mentor (23% versus 4%) and role model (40% versus 1%) as a large b arrier. Underrepresented minorities also noted an overall lack of ment ors as a large barrier (25% versus 19%). Women and underrepresented mi norities from the class of 1996 reported having a medical school exper ience characterized by similar barriers to their professional developm ent.