TY - JOUR
T1 - Contact and role modeling predict bias against lesbian and gay individuals among early-career physicians
T2 - A longitudinal study
AU - Wittlin, Natalie M.
AU - Dovidio, John F.
AU - Burke, Sara E.
AU - Przedworski, Julia M.
AU - Herrin, Jeph
AU - Dyrbye, Liselotte
AU - Onyeador, Ivuoma N.
AU - Phelan, Sean M.
AU - van Ryn, Michelle
N1 - Funding Information:
Research reported in this manuscript was supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute under award number R01HL085631 and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases under award number K01DK095924 (both National Institutes of Health ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2019/10
Y1 - 2019/10
N2 - Rationale: Physician bias against sexual minorities can hinder the delivery of high-quality health care and thus contribute to the disproportionate prevalence of negative health outcomes within this population. Medical students' interpersonal experiences within the context of medical school may contribute to this bias. Objective: The goal of the current research was to examine the relationship between these interpersonal experiences, reported by heterosexual, cisgender medical students, and explicit and implicit bias against lesbians and gay individuals, reported two years later during second year of medical residency. Method: Data were collected by surveying students (n = 2940) from a stratified sample of U.S. medical schools in fall 2010 (first semester of medical school), spring 2014 (final semester of medical school), and spring 2016 (second year of medical residency). Results: Amount and favorability of contact with LGBT individuals, reported during the final semester of medical school, predicted lower levels of explicit bias against lesbian and gay individuals during second year of medical residency. Additionally, exposure to negative role modeling, also reported during the final semester of medical school, predicted higher levels of explicit bias against lesbian and gay individuals during second year of medical residency. Amount of contact with LGBT individuals – and in particular, with LGBT medical students – predicted lower levels of implicit bias against lesbian and gay individuals during second year of medical residency. Neither favorability of contact with LGBT individuals nor exposure to negative role modeling predicted implicit bias against lesbian and gay individuals during second year of medical residency. Conclusion: These results suggest that interpersonal experiences during medical school can systematically shape heterosexual, cisgender physicians' subsequent explicit and implicit bias against lesbian and gay individuals.
AB - Rationale: Physician bias against sexual minorities can hinder the delivery of high-quality health care and thus contribute to the disproportionate prevalence of negative health outcomes within this population. Medical students' interpersonal experiences within the context of medical school may contribute to this bias. Objective: The goal of the current research was to examine the relationship between these interpersonal experiences, reported by heterosexual, cisgender medical students, and explicit and implicit bias against lesbians and gay individuals, reported two years later during second year of medical residency. Method: Data were collected by surveying students (n = 2940) from a stratified sample of U.S. medical schools in fall 2010 (first semester of medical school), spring 2014 (final semester of medical school), and spring 2016 (second year of medical residency). Results: Amount and favorability of contact with LGBT individuals, reported during the final semester of medical school, predicted lower levels of explicit bias against lesbian and gay individuals during second year of medical residency. Additionally, exposure to negative role modeling, also reported during the final semester of medical school, predicted higher levels of explicit bias against lesbian and gay individuals during second year of medical residency. Amount of contact with LGBT individuals – and in particular, with LGBT medical students – predicted lower levels of implicit bias against lesbian and gay individuals during second year of medical residency. Neither favorability of contact with LGBT individuals nor exposure to negative role modeling predicted implicit bias against lesbian and gay individuals during second year of medical residency. Conclusion: These results suggest that interpersonal experiences during medical school can systematically shape heterosexual, cisgender physicians' subsequent explicit and implicit bias against lesbian and gay individuals.
KW - Bias
KW - Longitudinal studies
KW - Medical education
KW - Sexual minorities
KW - Sexual orientation
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U2 - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112422
DO - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112422
M3 - Article
C2 - 31391147
AN - SCOPUS:85071924805
SN - 0277-9536
VL - 238
JO - Social Science and Medicine
JF - Social Science and Medicine
M1 - 112422
ER -