“I Say I'm Kind of Out”: An Insider Qualitative Study of Queer Medical Students

TY - JOUR

T1 - “I Say I'm Kind of Out”

T2 - An Insider Qualitative Study of Queer Medical Students

AU - Breheny, Cate Goldwater

AU - Lee, Dominic

AU - Ly, Daniel

AU - Oliver, Holly

AU - Bi, Anbreen

AU - Bull, Stephanie

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). The Clinical Teacher published by Association for the Study of Medical Education and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2025/2

Y1 - 2025/2

N2 - Background: United Kingdom Queer medical students' experiences have only been explored in depth in one previous study, despite longstanding calls to address National Health Service queerphobia. The study aims to combine our participants' data with personal insights from the Queer medical student research team to both record Queer medical students' experiences and provide practical actions that can promote support, inclusivity and celebration for Queer medical students. Methods: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants across three medical schools in England and Scotland. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Insider insights were combined with analysis to generate practical advice for educators. Results: Participants had a broad range of Queer identities, including non-binary, bisexual and asexual identities. Four themes were identified, as well as a table of practical advice: Developing a unified Queer medical student identity: the cognitive and emotional process of aligning Queer and medical student identities; A culture of discrimination: actions occurring at cultural, system and individual levels that result in negative queerphobic experiences; A counterculture of support: representation and support provided by Queer faculty and doctors and Queer friends, and in curriculum material; Belonging and not belonging: thoughts and feelings of acceptance and value within academic, clinical and social environments. Discussion: Queer medical students continue to experience discrimination despite calls for change. We suggest a deeper cultural reimagination of belonging as a Queer medical student, alongside practical support from educators to create this, is needed to improve Queer medical students' experiences.

AB - Background: United Kingdom Queer medical students' experiences have only been explored in depth in one previous study, despite longstanding calls to address National Health Service queerphobia. The study aims to combine our participants' data with personal insights from the Queer medical student research team to both record Queer medical students' experiences and provide practical actions that can promote support, inclusivity and celebration for Queer medical students. Methods: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 participants across three medical schools in England and Scotland. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Insider insights were combined with analysis to generate practical advice for educators. Results: Participants had a broad range of Queer identities, including non-binary, bisexual and asexual identities. Four themes were identified, as well as a table of practical advice: Developing a unified Queer medical student identity: the cognitive and emotional process of aligning Queer and medical student identities; A culture of discrimination: actions occurring at cultural, system and individual levels that result in negative queerphobic experiences; A counterculture of support: representation and support provided by Queer faculty and doctors and Queer friends, and in curriculum material; Belonging and not belonging: thoughts and feelings of acceptance and value within academic, clinical and social environments. Discussion: Queer medical students continue to experience discrimination despite calls for change. We suggest a deeper cultural reimagination of belonging as a Queer medical student, alongside practical support from educators to create this, is needed to improve Queer medical students' experiences.

KW - belonging

KW - Diversity and Inclusion (EDI)

KW - Equality

KW - LGBTQIA+

KW - medical student

KW - Queer

KW - support

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85212944802

U2 - 10.1111/tct.13847

DO - 10.1111/tct.13847

M3 - Article

C2 - 39710516

AN - SCOPUS:85212944802

SN - 1743-4971

VL - 22

JO - Clinical Teacher

JF - Clinical Teacher

IS - 1

M1 - e13847

ER -