Oh, The Places We'll Go: An Intersectional Analysis of the Path from Pre-Med to Physician

Physician biases are detrimental to the medical field. While not all doctors carry explicit biases against their patients, doctors may be influenced by implicit biases that then affect the care they provide. An investigation of the educational journey of physicians provides insight into how biases become embedded in the medical field. This thesis explores how biases based on race, gender, and other factors are perpetuated and compounded throughout premedical, medical school, and medical field environments. Through an interview with Baylor University’s pre-health director and a survey sent to students, I examine how Baylor prepares its premedical students for medical school. I then investigate the perpetuation of biases within the medical school environment. I then focus on the practicing medical field and the consequences of biases in healthcare. With biases present throughout a physician’s educational journey, I argue that biases should be continuously addressed throughout a physician’s development to prevent these biases from impacting patient care.