Interseccionalidade de gênero, raça e classe na formação médica: desafios de inclusão e cuidados a grupos vulneráveis

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze how socioeconomic and cultural factors influence the formation of the professional identity of medical students during their undergraduate education, as well as their understanding of the professional role and the quality of care for patients from minority or vulnerable groups. The study sought to describe the process of building the professional identity of medical students throughout their academic journey. The research is classified as exploratory and cross-sectional, with primary data collected using a mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative) approach. In the first phase, a survey questionnaire was administered to 41 students from the Dinâmica do Vale do Piranga Faculty (FADIP) and 63 students from the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV). In the second phase, in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 students from FADIP and 13 from UFV, using snowball sampling. The survey indicated that the mother's occupation influences the choice of medical specialties, while the father's occupation and the students' race do not. Students whose mothers were "homemakers" preferred high-status specialties. White men with medium economic capital had a slight advantage in terms of matching their market expectations with reality, although without statistical significance. The research identified that medical students with higher cultural capital, particularly influenced by their mothers, tend to value the choice of a medical career. Those whose mothers worked in healthcare preferred socio-humanistic competencies, while the opposite occurred with those whose mothers were in other fields. The study also found that students from minority groups face specific challenges, such as academic and emotional barriers. Thus, it can be observed how the intersection of race, gender, and class influences the formation and choice of medical specialties. Students with greater economic capital pursue high-status specialties, while others prefer lower-status areas. In this way, the importance of medical education adopting an intersectional and humanized approach was identified, promoting inclusive care in both health and education.