Habitus transformation of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds at medical school: the five core narratives

Widening Participation initiatives aim to attract students from non-traditional backgrounds to study medicine; students from diverse backgrounds will be better equipped to cater to the needs of a diverse population. But medical students are moulded by our expectations of how a doctor should think, feel, and act, and this may fundamentally alter their behaviours, attitudes, and tendencies (habitus). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 students and 5 family members who came from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Bourdieu’s habitus was used as a theoretical framework. Interviews were analysed using narrative analysis. Five core narratives were identified. ‘Outsiders’ have poor social integration prior to and at medical school. Those with ‘Enduring Identity’ narratives have strong social networks outside of medical school. ‘Pre-socialised’ students have experiences which prepare them for the middle-class culture of medical school, and ‘Encouraged Upward Mobility’ describes those who are strongly guided by their parents’ desire for middle-class status. Finally, those with ‘Personal Growth’ narrative describe a transformational experience, adopting new behaviours, values and tastes. The extent of habitus transformation in students from low socioeconomic backgrounds varied. Financial constraints, not drinking alcohol, and being on the gateway course all discouraged habitus transformation. Further research could explore whether this affects their interactions and abilities to empathise with patients from similar backgrounds.