473 - Medical Student Experiences with Microaggressions During Clinical Clerkships and Self- Efficacy

Medical students experience microaggressions throughout their clinical training. The association of microaggressions experienced in the clinical years on medical student self-efficacy is unclear.

Objective:

We aimed to evaluate the experiences of medical students with microaggressions on clinical clerkships and association with self-efficacy.

Design/Methods:

We performed a cross-sectional study of third-and-fourth year medical students at a single medical school between March and June 2022 (n=360). Participants completed a survey that included demographic information, items exploring participant experiences with microaggressions (i.e. frequency and type) and items from the General Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale. The General Self-Efficacy (GSE) scale is a validated 10-item questionnaire assessing self-beliefs to achieve a desired performance. Responses were allotted 1-4 points for each GSE item with a total score range of 10-40. Higher scores are associated with higher self-efficacy. Survey responses were described using summary statistics. The association between microaggressions and the GSE were evaluated using Wilcoxon rank sum test and multivariable linear regression.

Results:

Of the 82 students (23%) who completed the survey (Table 1), 63% observed a microaggression during clinical clerkships; 61% experienced a microaggression during clinical clerkships (Table 2). The most common frequency of observed and experienced microaggressions among respondents was once per month Thirty-six percent of respondents who experienced a microaggression were the target of a racial microaggression. Respondents who encountered more frequent microaggressions had lower self-efficacy scores in the unadjusted analysis (Figure 1). In the multivariable regression, there were no statistically significant differences between GSE scores among respondents who experienced microaggressions versus those who did not.

Conclusion(s): The majority of medical students observed and/or experienced microaggressions during clinical clerkships. Understanding medical student experiences with microaggressions is a critical step in mitigating their impact on the clinical learning environment.