When Personal Meets Professional: Unpacking the Influence of Identity on Medical Training
Justin L. Bullock, MD, MPH
Clinician Researcher, Division of Nephrology, School of Medicine
University of Washington
PhD Candidate, Maastricht University
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2025
Time: 12:00pm to 1:30pm
Hybrid: IRC Room 414 & Zoom*
Zoom Details: For connection details, please email ches.communications@ubc.ca.
Abstract
The current model of medical education is a model of extraction: it involves separating individuals from the communities from which they originate and then forcibly socializing them into the norms of medicine. Identity threats inevitably result as an outcome of these extractive processes. Historically, efforts towards creating safe spaces in medicine have focused on mitigating identity threats. I argue that this is important but incomplete in the quest for identity safety. I will spend time unpacking the definition of identity safety, and presenting data from learners across the UME to GME spectrum will describe the current understanding of the construct of identity safety. Along the way, our research challenges the boundaries between personal and professional identities as well as current conceptualizations of professional identity formation.
Biography
Dr. Justin Bullock is a clinician researcher in Nephrology at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the Co-director of the Docs with Disabilities Initiative. Justin is passionate about creating safe environments in medicine where everyone in the hospital is able to bring their authentic selves to work in the spirit of healing. His primary research focus centers on how educators can minimize identity threats in the learning environment. In addition to his education scholarship, Justin is outspoken about his lived experience as a gay Black bipolar physician. Drawing on his dual identities as a patient and provider, Justin believes deeply that medicine is a lifelong journey of healing as much for providers as it is for patients.
The Division of Continuing Professional Development, University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine (UBC CPD) is fully accredited by the Continuing Medical Education Accreditation Committee (CACME) to provide CPD credits for physicians. This one-credit-per-hour Group Learning program meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by UBC CPD for up to 15 Mainpro+® credits. Each physician should claim only those credits accrued through participation in the activity. CFPC Session ID: 203168-001 RCPSC ACCREDITATION: The CHES Cutting Edge Speaker Series is a self-approved group learning activity (Section 1) as defined by the Maintenance of Certification Program of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.