MP12-15 THE ACADEMIC FRONT LINE: EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF ANTI-RACISM SERVICE ON BLACK MEDICAL STUDENTS PURSING UROLOGY AND SURGICAL SPECIALTIES

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyEducation Research II (MP12)1 Sep 2021MP12-15 THE ACADEMIC FRONT LINE: EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF ANTI-RACISM SERVICE ON BLACK MEDICAL STUDENTS PURSING UROLOGY AND SURGICAL SPECIALTIES Cheyenne Williams, Tasha Posid, Alicia Scimeca, Dinah Diab, and Cheryl Lee Cheyenne WilliamsCheyenne Williams More articles by this author , Tasha PosidTasha Posid More articles by this author , Alicia ScimecaAlicia Scimeca More articles by this author , Dinah DiabDinah Diab More articles by this author , and Cheryl LeeCheryl Lee More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000001985.15AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Historically, underrepresented physicians shoulder disproportionate academic service related to diversity and inclusion (DI) initiatives, but this is not well-reported among students. As racial representation among urology trainees continues to lag behind other specialties, it is critical to understand competing interests experienced by underrepresented minority medical students and how this may impact their academic trajectories. We analyzed the perceived impact of DI service following the summer 2020 movements for racial justice on Black medical students interested in urology and surgical specialties. METHODS: A 39-item survey was distributed between August 2020-November 2020 to Student National Medical Association, a Black medical student organization. Survey items measured specialty interest, a validated racial discrimination score, time commitments to academic and DI efforts before vs after June 2020, and perceived impact of DI service on student wellness and academic performance. Survey responses were compared between students interested in urology vs. other surgical fields and all surgical fields vs. non-surgical fields. RESULTS: We evaluated surveys of 400 students from 105 medical schools. Participants were 53% female, 97.2% Black, and had a mean age of 24.6 years. 29.6% (118/400) of students indicated interested in surgical specialties, with 14.7% (17/118) of students reporting interest in urology. Responses from students pursuing urology were comparable to those of students pursuing other surgical fields. Students interested in surgical specialties more frequently reported that participation in DI activities had a negative impact on their academic performance and said that it prevented them from pursuing other, non-DI involvement (p=0.003) (Table 1). CONCLUSIONS: Black medical students are heavily engaged in institutional service for racial justice. This service has a more negative perceived impact on the academic performance of Black students pursuing urology and surgical specialties. As we seek to recruit a diverse urology workforce, these results warrant exploration of interventions to acknowledge and reward DI service and ultimately ameliorate the “minority tax” on Black trainees. Source of Funding: N/A © 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 206Issue Supplement 3September 2021Page: e194-e194 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Cheyenne Williams More articles by this author Tasha Posid More articles by this author Alicia Scimeca More articles by this author Dinah Diab More articles by this author Cheryl Lee More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Loading ...