Meaningful Interactional Diversity, Professional Development, and Service Intent in White Medical Students

Is self-reported meaningful interactional diversity (defined as cross-cultural engagement influencing knowledge or opinions) in medical school associated with perceived development, professional competence, and service intentions among White students?In this cross-sectional study of 80 542 White students from 155 US medical schools, meaningful interactional diversity showed graded associations with personal and professional development as well as competence to care for and work with people from different backgrounds, whereas associations with intentions to serve underserved communities occurred only with strong endorsement of meaningful interactional diversity.The findings of this study suggest that meaningful interactional diversity may positively influence key educational outcomes and service intentions among White US medical students.

Corresponding Author: Shruthi Venkataraman, MD, MS, NYU Langone Health, Translational Research Building, 227 E 30th St, 1st Floor, 119, New York, NY 10016 (Shruthi.Venkataraman@nyulangone.org).

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