US Medical School Applicant Experiences of Bias on the Interview Trail

BACKGROUND: U.S. medical schools have been unsuccessful in creating a diverse physician workforce. Implicit bias is pervasive in medicine, including potentially in medical school admissions. METHODS: We invited all 2018-2019 interviewees at one U.S. medical school to complete the eight-item Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) asking about experiences of bias during interview experiences to date. RESULTS: Three hundred forty-seven (30%) of 1,175 interviewees completed the survey, with participant demographic characteristics matching those of the broader interviewee pool. Seventy-two (21%) responded affirmatively to one or more EDS items. Gender, age, race, religion, and sexual orientation were all sources of discrimination. Those reporting bias had completed more interviews (5.2 vs. 3.9, P<.05) and were more likely to be Latinx (30.6% vs. 16.4%, P<.05) than their counterparts. Only three (4%) reported the incident to the institution where it occurred. CONCLUSION: Further work exploring experiences of bias during medical school admissions and how to decrease their frequency is warranted.