Attainment Gap Research Articles

Consequences of career progression barriers experienced by doctors in GP training: an interpretative phenomenological study

ABSTRACT Background Despite commitment across national medical education and training bodies to tackle differential attainment (DA), alongside a wealth of research into contributing factors and solutions, progression in narrowing the gap has lagged. This study explores the lived experiences of doctors facing DA, career progression barriers and their wider consequences. Methods Interpretative phenomenological analysis was chosen as the methodological framework. The six doctors interviewed were released from General Practice training before enrolling in a ‘targeted’ intervention scheme designed to support them with training completion. Results The cohort included four international medical graduates and two graduates from the United Kingdom. Three participants were neurodiverse. Three inter-related themes were identified. 1) ‘Career insecurity’ is defined as uncertainty about career prospects and attainment of career goals. At varying points along their journey navigating through progression barriers, participants frequently questioned their futures and the decision to persist in the arduous pursuit of training completion. 2) ‘Psychological injury’ featured prominently in the experiences of the ‘targeted trainees’. Feelings of worthlessness, helplessness, low energy and mood, and ‘traumatic’ experiences were described. 3) ‘Social injury’ illustrates consequences to doctors’ familial and social contexts (including relationships), as well as wider societal consequences (such as attrition). Conclusion Our research evidences the consequences of DA and career progression barriers. We highlight the urgent need for escalated efforts in addressing the challenges faced by different groups of doctors and narrowing the attainment gap. Recommendations for interventions are included in our study.

Fairer Training in public health, the UK FPH example

Abstract Background Public Health (PH) advocates for health equity and social justice. The UK Faculty of Public Health (FPH) is committed to tackling inequalities across the public health career pathway. The Fair Training project is a multi-phased programme which focuses on fair recruitment into PH, reducing differential attainment during PH training and postgraduate examinations. Objectives • Analyse available data from various sources; • Identify gaps in fair training culture and any biases; • Identify where support or interventions may best be focussed to minimise disadvantages; • Identify improvements in data that could be used to monitor actions; • Identify areas of good practice. Variables explored were demographic characteristics e,g, age, sex, ethnicity, disability status, professional background, candidate status (UK or overseas), place of primary qualification. Results Results show that candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds, those who are older, from international medical graduate backgrounds and backgrounds other than medicine are under-represented at the end of recruitment. Multivariable analysis of the diplomate exam shows that an attainment gap exists across increase with age, and those from black, Asian or white other ethnicity, professional background other than medicine, and overseas candidates. For the membership exam, multivariable analysis shows the attainment gap persists across those of increasing age and black ethnicity. Conclusions Recognising differential attainment as a structural problem requires organisational and individual leadership. Recommendations include an action plan to ensure: • Equality of opportunity for learning and career progression; • Collaborative working to eliminate discrimination in the design of education; • Ensure that training and the working environment are inclusive and diverse; • Inform future PH workforce planning; • Share good practice. FPH will implement the recommendations and share with other organisations and countries. Key messages • Structural causes of differential attainment during recruitment and training in public health do exist and should be mitigated. • FPH aims to promote Fair Training and excellence in public health practice.

Active education for reducing the attainment gap in a public health course in the United Kingdom (UK)

Abstract Background A diverse cohort of students join our UK postgraduate public health programme. We wanted to reduce attainment gaps between students. Active and inclusive educational activities may be important mechanisms for reducing attainment gaps as well as promoting student wellbeing. Our aim was to explore how active and inclusive curriculum design could support development of public health functions (e.g., designing interventions to address health inequalities) whilst reducing attainment gaps. Objectives Our 12-week module included a project to model determinants of adolescent’s health inequalities and design an evidence-based intervention to address determinants. Informed by Fink’s taxonomy and the assessment for learning framework, we designed educational activities (i.e., small group work and presentations, ethnographic visits, discussions with stakeholders) and assessments (i.e., group poster presentation and individual critical reflection) to structure the project. We assessed attainment gaps in student marks and surveyed student attitudes to the project (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree). Results 53 students (9 groups) completed the assessment with the following marks: poster (M = 61, SD = 7), critical reflection (M = 59, SD = 9), overall mark (M = 59, SD = 10). More students received ‘fails’ and ‘distinctions’ when only the critical reflection was considered (p < 0.001). Students (N = 39; 72% response rate) agreed that activities were intellectually stimulating (M = 5, SD = 0.8), supported their learning (M = 4, SD = 0.8) and made them feel included (M = 5, SD = 0.7). Active learning approach (i.e., benefits of interactions; creating effective groups); student’s caring and commitment; choice and inclusivity; complex and authentic tasks; informal, formal and timely feedback were highlighted. Conclusions Evidence that an active and inclusive approach functions to reduce attainment gaps is equivocal but appears to promote engagement, inclusion and learning. Key messages • Active learning strategies combined with authentic and flexible tasks and rich in feedback stimulate student’s interactions, inclusivity, and learning with potential for reducing attainment gaps. • Active and authentic education requires educators to work on how to properly implement these strategies.

Evaluating What Works in the Classroom: Best Practice and Future Opportunities

ABSTRACTDespite a high level of interest and investment in “gold standard” evaluations of interventions in education, the gap between teaching practice and the latest research on learning appears wider than ever; likewise, persistent attainment gaps between certain groups remain. This report summarizes the presentations and discussion from a roundtable event that brought together representatives from educational practice, research, and policy to explore challenges and solutions in relation to establishing “what works” in different educational contexts. The commentary addresses issues surrounding (a) who is involved and when, (b) a need for methodological innovation, (c) communication, and (d) understanding and use of evidence by educators and policymakers. Suggestions for best practice in relation to addressing these issues using national and international examples are presented. Identified recommendations related to facilitating a research culture within the teaching profession, the promotion of data sharing and communication, and conducting realistic evaluations. Outstanding questions are highlighted.

The evolution of veteran educational attainment gaps over the life cycle

Abstract Individuals who serve in the military substitute work experience for post-secondary educational attainment after high school, leading to large educational attainment gaps between new veterans and observably similar nonveterans. Little is known about the evolution of these gaps by age and across cohorts. We investigate the life-cycle attainment of veterans relative to nonveterans using a synthetic panel data approach. Following five multiyear birth cohorts we find that, on average, veterans close a 20-percentage point gap in attainment of a bachelor's or greater over time and significantly outpace observably similar nonveterans in attainment of an associate's degree. Female and minority veterans exceeded the attainment of similar nonveterans over time, and more recent birth cohorts began with larger gaps but closed them at younger ages due to increasing levels of both enrollment and enrollment intensity. Our findings highlight the important role of military service in facilitating social mobility through educational attainment.

GELO and GreX: A framework and dashboard to investigate technology competency and culture

Participation in 4th Industrial Revolution society is increasingly dependent upon competencies related to the use of digital technologies for a wide variety of purposes. A person’s competence in the use of digital technologies has implications for a wide variety of contexts and situations, including learning in physical as well as virtual spaces, career choices and employability, digital citizenship, cultural orientations and values, and even democracy (Erstad, 2010). This workshop will provide an overview of the Global Educational Learning Observatory (GELO) project and invite participants to experience a variety of self-assessment tools accessed through the customizable dashboard, the Global Readiness Explorer (GREx). The GELO project attempts to provide a framework for an international network of institutions utilizing data-driven evidence to inform evolving best practices for online and mobile learning. To achieve this, the project (i) assembles a nucleus of formal educational institutions, (ii) constructs the necessary tools to extend research on formal learning models, and (iii) reaches into the workplace as well as other more public spaces to integrate with informal learning settings. The primary source of data derives from a customizable dashboard, the Global Readiness Explorer (GREx), and the tools that can be implemented within it. These tools are designed to give individuals, organizations, and institutions the means to construct complex profiles that can be used to identify gaps in competency attainment and development. Through small group activities, participants will examine and discuss the various tool suites in the GREx including the digital learning competency profiler (DCP); the fully online learning community survey instrument (FOLCS); the Personal Cultural Orientation Scale (PCOS) and others. In this workshop, participants will choose a self-assessment instrument to participate in and then discuss their experience with a focus on improving the GREx tool suite for global use. In addition, participants will examine the GREx for use with their students as a component of determining readiness for moving into fully online learning environments. The workshop will conclude with an explanation of the global educational learning observatory (GELO), and participants will be invited to join this global research network.

Engagement with online resources and widening participation status: observations from a large, diverse Foundation Year science cohort

Despite focused effort and attention over recent years, many potential barriers to progression and success remain within Higher Education. This study focuses on a cohort of 168 students studying on two semester-long Foundation Year Biological Sciences modules delivered at the University of East Anglia in the academic year 2021/22. These modules take place in consecutive semesters within the same academic year and specifically target students from underrepresented and widening participation backgrounds. This study seeks to understand whether a student’s widening participation background influences their engagement with online study resources. We analysed the engagement of individual students with resources provided on the virtual learning environment (VLE) and related this to POLAR4 quintiles. POLAR4 classifies local areas across the UK according to the young participation rate in Higher Education within that area. All POLAR4 categories saw lower modules marks as well as engagement with practice assessments VLE-hosted resources in the second of the two semesters. These differences were greatest for students from the lowest POLAR4 quintile, POLAR4q1. POLAR4q1 students have significantly lower average module grades than all other categories across both semesters but with the gap widest in semester 2, despite the student engagement score increasing. There was no difference in the engagement scores for students from POLAR4q1 backgrounds compared to others in their cohort during the autumn semester but in in the spring semester, students from POLAR4q1 backgrounds had on average, higher engagement scores. Students who grew up in a POLAR4q1 area are more likely to have had disrupted education journeys than their peers from other quintiles. As a result, it is likely they will need more than one intervention to be able to close the attainment gap that we see on these modules. We discuss this along with other potential causes and consequences for these findings alongside recommendations for interventions and further research.

Ambitious, misaligned, or uncertain? The occupational and educational aspirations of immigrant-origin youth in Germany

ABSTRACT Immigrant-origin students often hold higher educational aspirations than native-origin peers, accounting for socioeconomic status and school grades. The consequences of this ‘Immigrant Aspiration Paradox’ (IAP) on their socioeconomic attainment are debated. Although individuals’ occupational aspirations and how they compare with their educational aspirations (i.e. their alignment) also affect status attainment, they are understudied in the IAP literature. We contribute to the debate on the benefits of the IAP by investigating immigrant-native gaps in the level, (mis)alignment, and (un)certainty of teenage occupational and educational aspirations and their consequences on educational attainment in Germany. First, we describe immigrant-native gaps in teenage aspirations. Then, we investigate whether these differences mediate immigrant-native gaps in upper secondary attainment and tertiary enrollment. In line with the immigrant optimism theory, Asian-origin and Turkish-origin students are more likely to hold aligned high aspirations. On average, immigrant-origin students are less likely to have aligned low aspirations compared to native-origin students, and equally likely to hold misaligned or uncertain aspirations. We find that students from most immigrant-origin groups have a higher upper secondary attainment and tertiary enrollment than native-origin students, net of controls. Large portions of these advantages are mediated by the aspirations of immigrant-origin students, which we interpret as evidence of the benefits of the IAP.

Family structure and policy contexts: implications for tertiary education attainment in 25 European countries

Abstract This study examines how institutional contexts in 25 European countries moderate the association between family structure and tertiary education attainment. Previous research has proposed the resource deprivation perspective to explain lower educational outcomes among children from disrupted families, suggesting that policies addressing resource deprivation could mitigate these negative consequences. However, limited attention has been given to the role of policy contexts in shaping the educational outcomes of youth from disrupted families. This study focuses on two types of policies: the generosity of social benefits to single parents and financial support for students in tertiary education. Using data from the EU-SILC and employing multilevel regression models, the findings indicate that generous financial support for students reduces the tertiary education attainment gap between youth from separated and two-parent families. However, this effect is observed only among low-socioeconomic status (SES) and moderate-SES families. In contrast, the generosity of social benefits does not appear to moderate the association between family structure and tertiary education attainment, even when examining low-SES families or specifically considering benefits for low-earning single parents. Furthermore, the influence of these analysed policies is limited among young people from widowed families.

Co‐creating an equality diversity and inclusion learning analytics dashboard for addressing awarding gaps in higher education

AbstractEducational outcomes from traditionally underrepresented groups are generally worse than for their more advantaged peers. This problem is typically known as the awarding gap (we use the term awarding gap over ‘attainment gap’ as attainment places the responsibility on students to attain at equal levels) and continues to pose a challenge for educational systems across the world. While Learning Analytics (LA) dashboards help identify patterns contributing to the awarding gap, they often lack stakeholder involvement, offering very little support to institutional Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) leads or educators to pinpoint and address these gaps. This paper introduces an innovative EDI LA dashboard, co‐created with diverse stakeholders. Rigorously evaluated, the dashboard provides fine‐grained insights and course‐level analysis, empowering institutions to effectively address awarding gaps and contribute to a diverse and inclusive higher education landscape. Practitioners notesWhat is already known about this topic Traditionally underrepresented groups face educational disparities, commonly known as the awarding gap. Underachievement is a complex multi‐dimensional problem and cannot be solely attributable to individual student deficiencies. LA dashboards targeting this specific problem are often not public, there is little research about them, and are frequently designed with little involvement of educational stakeholders. What this paper adds Pioneers the introduction of a dashboard specifically designed to address the awarding gap problem. Emphasises the significant data needs of educational stakeholders in tackling awarding gaps. Expands the design dimensions of Learning Analytics (LA) by introducing a specific design approach rooted in established user experience (UX) design methods. Implications for practice and/or policy Insights from this study will guide practitioners, designers, and developers in creating AI‐based educational systems to effectively target the awarding gap problem.

The barriers to and facilitators of academic and social success for deafblind children and young people: A scoping review

AbstractDeafblind children and young people often perform poorly in education and social settings. The extent of this attainment gap is unknown. Following the Joanna Briggs protocol, a scoping review was conducted with the aim of establishing the barriers to and facilitators of academic and social success for this cohort. A database search was conducted seeking peer‐reviewed studies relating to deafblind children and young people, in academic and social settings, from any country, published in English, between 1989 and 2022. The review included 38 articles with a range of methodological approaches. The main barriers to success were limited opportunities and options to communicate, a lack of awareness of deafblindness within schools and the wider community, and limited opportunities and adaptations to the curriculum, resources and the environment. The facilitators included improving access to communication and resources, increased awareness, and collaboration between families and professionals. Additional research is needed in this field, particularly to investigate the impact of modern technology to aid access and communication for deafblind children and young people.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Academic Outcomes: Teacher Support during Classroom Interactions

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is crucial for children’s development of social and emotional skills, including relationships, communication, decision-making, self-esteem, and behavior. It can help reduce the attainment gap between slow-learners and their peers. The study examines the relationship between social-emotional learning (SEL), Academic Outcome and the social dimensions of teacher support during classroom interactions, based on Lev Vygotsky’s socio-cultural learning theory. Vygotsky’s theory suggests that empathy and the ability to articulate thoughts are crucial for deep learning. The study aims to understand the perceived levels of social dimensions in terms of belongingness at school, social learning experiences, and relationships with teachers, peers, and parents. The study also seeks to determine if there is a significant relationship between SEL and academic outcomes and teacher support during classroom interactions. It comes to light that by actively scaffolding classroom interactions and integrating social-emotional learning into the regular academic schedule, teachers can support their students.

Research design and preliminary findings from the EUniWell MASOEE project on teaching skills to disadvantaged cohorts

The ERASMUS+ European University of Wellbeing alliance (EUniWell) has seed-funded the project “Maximising Academic and Social Outcomes in Engineering Education” (MASOEE). This initiative explores how to better teach non-technical skills with the aim of ensuring the success of students from disadvantaged backgrounds in their professional lives, making a significant contribution to societal wellbeing. It can be argued that because engineering jobs are relatively well-paid, engineering education might be considered a force for social mobility if universities reduce attainment gaps between marginalised and mainstream cohorts. To this end, we are sharing best practice for professional, business and sustainability skill teaching between the engineering faculties at the Universities of Florence (Italy), Birmingham (UK), and Linnaeus (Sweden), whilst appreciably contrasting how their disadvantaged cohorts are profiled and supported. In this paper we provide an overview of the project and present some preliminary results comparing students self-rated skills levels and engineering identity against an objective measure of disadvantage – the number of parents who attended university. We discuss our research method with emphases on methodological and contextual reflexivity. This enables us to select our procedures and acknowledge the study setting, and to offer readers insights to help them assess its transferability.

College Entrance of People with Disabilities in Korea: Effect of Family Background by Gender

ABSTRACT The number of Koreans with disabilities entering college (including vocational colleges and universities) has sharply increased since the introduction of the Special Admission System for the Disabled in 1995. This study pays attention to the effect of gender and family background on college entrance among people with disabilities. Logit regression analyses were conducted using data from the first wave of the Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled, a nationwide survey on people with disabilities in Korea. The results showed that gender and family backgrounds (i.e. father’s education, subjective economic level in childhood) were significantly associated with college entrance. The interaction effect of the father’s education and gender was significant as well. Women whose fathers had less than a high school education had a lower probability of attending college compared to men with the same educational background. However, the marginal gender difference diminished among those with fathers who completed high school education or above. These findings suggest that gender and family background may lead to gaps in educational attainment among people with disabilities. More active policy attention and support are needed for women with disabilities and low socioeconomic backgrounds, as they may face additional disadvantages compared to men.

A qualitative study exploring experiences of racial minority stress in pharmacy education and practice

BackgroundDespite 49.1% of registered pharmacists in the UK being from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, senior management roles within pharmacy are dominated by white males. People from BAME communities may experience minority stress which contributes to a professional attainment gap compared with non-BAME colleagues. Minority stress describes additional stressors, such as unconscious bias, micro-aggression and racial minority stress, experienced by minoritized people to adhere to the social norms of the majority. There is little evidence describing experiences of minority stress in pharmacy practice and education. The aim was to explore experiences of racial minority stress in pharmacy education and practice. MethodsA convenience sample of pharmacy students and pharmacists were recruited via email and social media posts to volunteer to take part in interviews and focus groups. A topic guide was used to explore experiences of unconscious bias, microaggressions and racial minority stress in education and practice. Interviews and focus groups were transcribed verbatim and inductively analysed using thematic analysis underpinned by a phenomenological approach. Ethical approval was granted from Newcastle University (5340/2020, 2430/2593). ResultsForty-five participants were recruited. Six focus groups and sixteen one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted. The sample was varied, with 56% (n = 25) students and 33% (n = 15) registered pharmacists from community, hospital, primary care, academia and an additional 11% (n = 5) still in foundation training in these sectors. The sample include diversity of racial identities, including 40% (n = 18) South Asian, 27% (n = 12) White, 15% (n = 7) Black, 7% (n = 3) Chinese and Arab mixed, 2% (n = 1) and 2% (n = 1) Not disclosed. Three themes were identified – Theme 1) Experiences of racial minority stress, Theme 2) Making sense of racial minority stress, and Theme 3) Responding to racial minority stress. Participants characteristics (for example skin colour, dialect, religious dress) made them feel susceptible to judgement, racist comments and microaggressions in education and practice. Participants required time to interpret, understand and make sense of incidents of racial minority stress. Responses to stressors included ‘ignoring ignorance’ and using a ‘professional identity’ to mask feelings. However, malicious comments and actions from other pharmacy staff were responded to differently to experiences from patients. Participants reported poor self-confidence to challenge racist behaviours in the workplace. ConclusionsThe aim of this study was to explore experiences of racial minority stress in pharmacy education and practice. This study shows dealing with microaggression, racial minority stress and judgement in pharmacy education and practice is a burden experienced by people from BAME backgrounds. These experiences could contribute to the professional attainment gap in pharmacy, as making sense of these experiences is an additional burden pharmacists and trainees must bear in comparison to people from non-BAME backgrounds. Further work is needed to explore interventions to reduce minority stress in pharmacy practice and education to reduce the attainment gap across the sector.

Narrowing the Gap in Differential Attainment for Psychiatry Core Trainees in East Midlands Through Mentorship Scheme

Narrowing the Gap in Differential Attainment for Psychiatry Core Trainees in East Midlands Through Mentorship Scheme

Stereotyping and ethnicity gaps in teacher assigned grades

We explore the contribution of stereotyping to attainment gaps between pupils from different ethnic groups when grades are assigned by teachers. We exploit a change in assessment methods in England to compare grades based on teacher predictions to grades received through blindly marked examinations. When grades are assigned by teachers, ethnic minority pupils receive higher grades in maths and lower grades in English relative to White British pupils and compared to when grades are assigned through exams marked by external assessors. We use an extension of the Gelbach decomposition (Gelbach, 2016) to investigate whether the effects can be accounted for by differences in the levels of, or returns to, observed characteristics between years. Accounting for these differences partially reduces the grade gap changes in maths but roughly doubles the magnitude of the grade gap changes in English. Grade gap changes are also not driven by time trends or ceiling effects. We conclude that group-specific stereotyping is a convincing explanation of the results.

Reverse mentoring – a useful tool for integrating into the system and making a change

Introduction: Reverse mentoring is useful for closing the generational gap,improving inclusion, and developing skills. Here, a junior team membermentors a senior team member. The scheme run by the Future LeadersProgram is open to International Medical Graduates (IMGs) in Yorkshireand Humber. The aim is to close the differential attainment gap byencouraging Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) conversations.Method: Matching is done by MentorNet®. Mentor training consists ofhandbook, induction, and supervision meetings. We planned for threevirtual meetings within 6 months.• Session 1 – Aims and lived experience.• Session 2 – What does it take to feel safe, valued, and accepted?• Session 3: Setting up IMGs to succeed and the impact of the first placementon their careers.Discussion: Reverse mentoring is beyond sharing bad experiences as itcreates avenues for reflection and insights on how to better integrate intothe system.We do not need to have a bad experience before we advocate for EDIin our workplace. Sharing positive experiences is a powerful tool.Pairing Nigerian Junior doctors in the UK with senior doctors inNigeria would reduce the impact of ‘brain drain’ and be a positive toolfor exchanging knowledge and skills with the Nigerian workforce.’

Monitoring Global Progress in Core Diabetes Control Metrics: Protocol for a Systematic Review of Prevalence (2015–2023)

Background The Global Diabetes Compact is a WHO-sponsored initiative that aims to improve diabetes care and prevention, and to reduce the global burden of diabetes. This includes the goal of monitoring the progress and achievement of country-level diabetes metrics and targets. The objective of this systematic review is to examine population-based studies from 2015–2023 to determine the status of core diabetes control metrics: glycaemic (HbA1c), blood pressure and lipid control (low-density lipoprotein and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and statin use. This review will describe regional and country-level variation in attainment gaps concerning these indicators. Methods This review will follow the JBI methodological approach to systematic reviews of prevalence, and will be reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. We will include population-based observational studies, conducted in all geographic settings that report data on adult populations (≥18 years) with diagnosed Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, with no language restrictions. We will search the following databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and WHO Global Index Medicus. Using Covidence, two reviewers will independently screen titles and abstracts against eligibility criteria, review potentially relevant full-text articles, and extract data from eligible studies. A third reviewer will resolve any conflicts. Reviewers will use a standardised data extraction form to extract study population, methodological, and outcome data. Primary outcomes are levels of glycaemic, blood pressure, and lipid control, and statin use. Methodological quality of included studies will be assessed using the JBI Critical Appraisal tool for studies reporting prevalence data. Extracted data will be synthesised using descriptive statistics and summarised narratively. Dissemination Findings will be used to inform global diabetes surveillance, prevention, and treatment initiatives. The completed review will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, and presented at national and international conferences. PROSPERO registration CRD42024505286 OSF https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/DZYJK

A qualitative study exploring experiences of racial minority stressors in pharmacy education and practice

Abstract Introduction Despite 49.1% of registered pharmacists in the UK identifying Black, Asian, or from a Minority Ethnic (BAME) background, senior management roles within pharmacy are dominated by white males.[1] People from BAME communities may experience racial minority stressors. Racial minority stressors are behaviours which range from unconscious bias, micro-aggression, and overt racism (macro-aggression). However, there is little evidence describing experiences of racial minority stressors in pharmacy practice and education. Aim To explore experiences of racial minority stressors in pharmacy education and practice. Methods A convenience sample of pharmacy students, trainees and pharmacists were recruited via email and social media posts to voluntarily take part in interviews and focus groups. Inclusion criteria were: be over 18 years old, conversant in English, capacity to give consent to take part in research and be either a pharmacy student, trainee or registered pharmacist. The only exclusion criterion was where the inclusion criteria were not met. Interviews and focus groups were held online using Microsoft Teams. A topic guide was generated from key themes in the literature and used during data collection to explore experiences of racial minority stressors in education and practice. Interviews and focus groups were transcribed verbatim and inductively analysed using thematic analysis underpinned by a phenomenological approach. Ethical approval was obtained from Newcastle University Ethics Committee. Results Forty-five participants were recruited. Six focus groups and sixteen one-to-one semi-structured interviews were conducted. The sample was varied, with 56% (n=25) students and 33% (n=15) registered pharmacists from community, hospital, primary care, academia and an additional 11% (n=5) still in foundation training in these sectors. The sample included a diversity of racial identities, including 40% (n=18) South Asian, 27% (n=12) White, 15% (n=7) Black, 7% (n=3) Chinese 7% (n=3) Arab, 2% (n=1) mixed, and 2% (n=1) not disclosed. Three themes were identified – Theme 1) Experiences of racial minority stress, Theme 2) Making sense of racial minority stress, and Theme 3) Responding to racial minority stress. Participants experiences of stressors were based on personal characteristics (for example skin colour, dialect, religious dress) which made them feel susceptible to judgement, racist comments and microaggressions in education and practice. Participants required time to make sense of, interpret, and understand experiences of racial minority stress. This was influenced by the sources of stressors, which included patients, the public, and colleagues as well as institutions and policies. Participants responded by ‘ignoring’ stressors from patients and the public which were thought to be due to ignorance or ill-health and ‘masking’ negative feelings if sources of stress were colleagues or institutions due to fear of negative impacts on training and career progression. Conclusion This study shows dealing with microaggressions, racial minority stress and judgement in pharmacy education and practice is a burden experienced by people from BAME backgrounds. This may contribute to the professional attainment gap in pharmacy, as these experiences are an additional burden that pharmacists, trainees, and students must bear compared to their non-BAME counterparts. Further research is needed to explore interventions to reduce minority stress.