Exploring the intersectionality of race and gender on the incidence of and response to microaggression experienced by Asian American women medical students

Background

Discrimination faced by Asian American trainees in medical school include those reported by female trainees. This study aims to characterize the microaggressions faced by Asian American woman medical students.

Methods

We use a mixed methods approach to characterize the experiences of Asian Americans in United States (US) medical schools through an anonymous online survey and participation in focus groups.

Results

Among our 305 participants, 65.9 ​% were women. More women experienced microaggressions than men (p ​< ​0.001). Compared to men, women reported significantly higher rates of supervisors having higher expectations of them, implying they were submissive, and describing them as too quiet. Women felt that their experiences with microaggressions were entangled with being Asian and a woman, but could not distinguish which identity was being targeted.

Conclusion

The intersectionality of being Asian American and a woman in medical training has not been explored. We found that this duality intensified experiences of microaggressions.