Date of Award

Fall 12-15-2023

Level of Access Assigned by Author

Open-Access Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Higher Education Leadership

Advisor

Elizabeth Allan

Second Committee Member

Leah Hakkola

Third Committee Member

Kathleen Gillon

Additional Committee Members

Daniel Tillapaugh

Andrea McGill-O'Rourke

Abstract

This qualitative study fills a gap in the extant literature by exploring how medical students with minoritized identities make meaning about sense of self-definition and emerging professional identities while enrolled in medical school. More specifically, the focus of this study explored how minoritized medical students perceived their sense of self and dimensions of identity were shaped during their medical education, and what perceptions these medical students had about how they manage their professional identity development. Emergent themes included: (a) making connections between self-definition and professional identities, (b) past experience of difference shaping identities, (c) self-definition with complexity, (d) fluidity as a learner, (e) experiencing white coats differently, and (f) tailoring their white coats. A review of relevant literature, conceptual framing, research methods, researcher positionality, limitations of the study, discussion of the findings, implications and recommendations for practice, future research directions, and concluding thoughts are also included.

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