“There was no one who looked like me”: experiences of historically excluded university students in a summer research program

Introduction To improve health for all demographics in our society, we need a diverse biomedical research workforce in which those affected by health disparities are in positions of power to prioritize and solve preventable differences in health outcomes across various populations. A strategy for diversifying the biomedical research workforce is to engage students who are from historically excluded, and therefore underrepresented, groups early in research experiences, including through summer research programs. One such program is the Biomedical Research for University Students in Health Sciences (BRUSH) Summer Research Program at Michigan State University (MSU), which enrolls university students from historically excluded groups. This study aimed to understand how summer research experiences of university students of color are impacted by race, ethnicity, and culture, as well as how mentors from the dominant race can foster trust, sense of belongingness, and confidence in participating students. Methods We conducted interviews with 32 student alumni of the BRUSH Summer Research Program. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and informed by the Relational Cultural Theory to better understand participants' cross-cultural mentorship experiences. Results Two major themes were developed. Theme one characterized the challenges participants of color experienced within scientific environments. Participants' sense of belongingness was reduced by an underrepresentation of visible minorities in research spaces, harmful stereotypes, and performative displays of support. Conversely, respectful recognition of differences and authentic conversations around race, ethnicity, and culture that were within context were beneficial for mentees. Theme two described how relational mentorship practices impacted participants' confidence, trust toward their mentor, and advancement in academia or their career. Specifically, authentic communication, respect for mentees' developing expertise, investment in mentee's growth, empathy, respect, and a supportive lab community were beneficial for participants. Discussion The developed themes highlight the impacts of cross-cultural mentorships on mentees' development and form the basis for developing mentor training materials for mentoring relationships that cross race, ethnicity, and/or culture. These materials can be used to increase the competence of mentors who are dedicated to training a diverse workforce, but who need to develop skills to fully support students and avoid unintended discouragement.