A qualitative interview study of medical genetics and genomics residents' perspectives on race, ethnicity, and racism in clinical settings and their related gaps in knowledge: “It's just taboo. Nobody talks about it.”

Medical genetics and genomics (MGG) is one of many clinical specialties impacted by racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare access, experience, and outcomes. We explored US MGG residents' perceived gaps in knowledge regarding race and ethnicity related issues in clinical settings and their recommendations for supporting trainees in navigating such issues. From November 2022 to March 2023, US MGG residents were recruited for semi-structured interviews via email and social media. Using inductive coding reliability thematic analysis, key themes were identified and interpreted: (1) there is a lack of formal education on race and ethnicity related issues tailored to MGG residency curricula; (2) MGG residents struggle with implementing culturally informed genetic counseling and combating racial/ethnic prejudice in their clinical practice; (3) formal education on race and ethnicity related issues in MGG should be interactive, collaborative, and accessible to providers at all levels of training. Our findings highlight potential areas for improvement that may aid MGG providers and other medical specialties in delivering more just and equitable clinical care.