Between agency and systemic barriers: Pathways to medicine and health sciences among Black students with immigrant parents from the Caribbean or Sub-Saharan Africa in Quebec, Canada.

This qualitative study, based on life stories, documents the pathways to medicine and health sciences of Black students with immigrant parents from the Caribbean or Sub-Saharan Africa in Quebec, Canada. The aim of this study is to investigate the factors that shape their educational pathways using Doray's framework. Even among students from families with substantial levels of education, the educational pathways to medicine or health sciences may be described as non-linear. Several obstacles can arise along these pathways, depending on various social markers. Many of the interviewees first enroll in a program other than their desired program, either to ensure their financial security or to improve their grades for a limited-enrollment program. Medicine and pharmacy studies remain a dream for most participants and their parents. However, in some cases, this dream is not coming true, and interviewees' aspirations are sometimes stifled. These results shed light on the possible changes to be made within certain programs' admissions policies. Nevertheless, the students (n = 12) demonstrate agency in facing a seemingly unfair admissions system for highly selective programs. We conclude with recommendations on how to better accommodate the so-called non-traditional pathways of Black students with immigrant parents from the Caribbean or Sub-Saharan Africa.[Box: see text].