Considering the Impact of Racial Stigmas and Science Identity: Persistence Among Biomedical and Behavioral Science Aspirants.

HIGHER education of minorities; UNDERGRADUATES; MEDICAL sciences; MEDICAL science education; PSYCHOLOGY education; MINORITY college students; IDENTITY (Psychology); PSYCHOLOGY

A case study is presented in which the authors explore the reasons for the decline in U.S. undergraduates undertaking studies in the physical and life sciences at the university level, with a focus on the trends of underrepresented racial minority (URM) students. Topics include the relation between student identity and the study of biomedical and behavioral sciences (BBS), the correlation between negative racial experiences and degree completion, and the theory of stereotype threat.