Perceptions of Climate and Coping among Black Women Biomedical PhD Students

This qualitative study used the ‘Black Feminist Thought’ (BFT) framework to explore Black women‘s perceptions of ’being the only’ in their biomedical PhD programs, their coping strategies, and implications for their career plans. As part of a larger, ongoing national study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 47 Black women prior to or at the beginning of their PhD training, and at the end of their first and second years of graduate school. Interviews included questions on their courses, laboratory rotations, career choices, experiences tied to gender and race, and challenges and supports. We found that both race and the intersection of race and gender are important aspects of their identity, that most students spoke about ‘being the only’ or one of a very few Black women in their program, and spoke of a range of consequences and coping strategies tied to ‘being the only’. Their gender was not a major issue because, as many pointed out, women were a majority in their labs or programs. The observation that both race and gender are at the core of the identity of the Black women highlights the importance of taking both identities into consideration when creating environments and interactions to benefit these and other students. Using the BFT framework allowed us to identify coping strategies like, ‘embracing the power to define and interpret their experiences despite low expectations from others as Black women’ and ‘take it or leave it’ reactions to low expectations of Black women in science. Some of the consequences of ‘being the only’ include: ‘pressure to positively represent the race and counter negative stereotypes’, ‘perception that you are being viewed through a stereotypical lens due to race’ and ‘feelings of isolation or challenges forming bonds’ . These consequences can be mitigated by acknowledging the impacts of ‘being the only’ and conscious attention to the cultural awareness of instructors, mentors and institutions.