Ethnicity-related stereotypes and their impacts on medical students: A critical narrative review of health professions education literature

Abstract

Background

Stereotypes are oversimplified beliefs about groups of people. Social psychology concepts and theories describing ethnicity-related stereotypes are well reported in non-medical educational settings. In contrast, the full impact of stereotyping on medical students, and the extent to which they were represented in health professions education (HPE) is less well-described. Using the lens of social psychological theory, this review aimed to describe ethnicity-related stereotypes about medical students portrayed in HPE literature and the impacts of those stereotypes.

Methods

A critical narrative approach was undertaken. Social psychology concepts and theories were used as a framework through which to review the impacts of ethnicity-related stereotypes on medical students as described in HPE literature. A database search of Ovid MEDLINE, JSTOR, Project Muse, and PsychINFO was conducted to identify both theoretical and empirical articles relating to this topic in the HPE literature. Data was synthesised using thematic analysis, giving particular care to appraise the evidence from perspectives in social psychology.

Findings

In HPE, the experiences and impact of stereotyping on learners from minority ethnic groups was explained by social psychology concepts such as stereotype threat, stereotype reactance, attributional ambiguity, self-fulfilling prophecy, stereotype boost, stereotype lift, and stereotype masking. Stereotype boost and stereotype lift were particularly described among students who identified as White, whereas stereotype threat was described more commonly among students from minority ethnics groups. The impact of stereotyping is not just on assessment, but may be across all teaching and learning activities at medical school.

Interpretation

Social psychology concepts and theories can be used to describe the experience and impact of ethnicity-related stereotypes in HPE. Educators can better support learners from minority ethnic groups by self-reflecting over assumptions about individuals from minority ethnic groups, as well as minimise the impact of stereotyping and bias to create more inclusive learning environments.

Keywords:

• Medical education research
• change
• student support
• medicine
• teaching & learning

Glossary

Minority ethnic students: Here refers to students from a different ethnic group to the dominant ethnic group in the country in which they live, for the example individuals who are White British form the dominant ethnic group in the United Kingdom (UK).

Stereotypes: Are oversimplified beliefs that homogenise all persons in a group into a single characteristic or descriptor.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Soham Bandyopadhyay

Soham Bandyopadhyay, MA, BM BCh, Oxford University Global Surgery Group, Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, UK.

Conor T. Boylan

Conor T Boylan, MBChB, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.

Yousif G. Baho

Yousif G Baho, MSc, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Kingston Upon Hull, UK & University of York, York, UK.

Anna Casey

Anna Casey, MSc, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK.

Aqua Asif

Aqua Asif, BSc (Hons), Leicester Medical School, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK.

Halimah Khalil

Halimah Khalil, BMedSci, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.

Nermin Badwi

Nermin Badwi, MBBS, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt.

Rakesh Patel

Rakesh Patel, MBChB, MMEd, MD, Medical Education Centre, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.