| Sumario: | Medical students face significant academic, psychosocial, and existential stressors throughout their education. Clinical rotations expose them to a wide range of workplace cultures and shifting learning expectations. We applied the culturally engaging campus environment (CECE) model, derived from three decades of published research in higher education, to medical education. It articulates the ways in which learning environments shape the experiences and outcomes of diverse student populations and finds a positive correlation between access to culturally engaging environments and probability of success. We posit that CECE indicators are relevant to medical education and that identifying the most relevant would support targeted faculty development. We conducted a sequential mixed-methods study in two phases. In Phase I, medical students completed the 95-item CECE questionnaire. In Phase II, we used the emerging insights to inform focus groups and interviews with 36 students and 7 clinician educators in (the internal medicine clerkship. We gathered a wealth of information and here focus on the most salient themes from the quantitative phase: (1) limited sense of belonging and community and (2) limited and missed opportunities for culturally relevant learning. Findings suggest that respondents feel they are a part of the healthcare team during their clerkship but no strong sense of belonging or connection. While respondents are able to build relationships with others on the clerkship team, they have difficulty maintaining their existing relationships and feel isolated. Results also attested (1) limited opportunities for meaningful cross-cultural interaction; (2) racial differences in perceived culturally relevant pedagogy; and (3) lack of engagement in diversity and health equity. The study enabled us to identify the CECE indicators that are most relevant and in support of medical education. Practical implications include much needed faculty education development inclusive of innovation in teaching strategies, embracing all areas of health equity, diversity, and antioppressive andragogies.
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