A presente pesquisa, que investigou os diferentes desafios que podem ser enfrentados por alunos cotistas negros em relação à permanência em uma universidade pública, teve como lócus a Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), Campus São Paulo, e foi conduzida com alunos dos cursos de Ciências Biomédicas, Enfermagem, Fonoaudiologia e Medicina. Para isso, foram realizados um questionário online e entrevistas, os quais buscaram examinar, do ponto de vista dos alunos, como se dá a convivência no ambiente acadêmico, de que forma se estabelecem as relações com colegas, professores e qual o papel do apoio institucional e como esses fatores podem afetar a decisão de permanecer na universidade. A metodologia da pesquisa sobre a permanência dos alunos cotistas negros se baseou em estudos realizados por Tinto (1993), Bean (1980), Cabrera (1994, 1996) e Azzi, Mercuri e Moran (1995). A análise teve como referência estudos realizados por Zago (2006), Belettati (2011) e Ezcurra (2009), que têm como foco a experiência de ingresso de estudantes de camadas populares no ensino superior. A análise também considerou as desigualdades raciais vivenciadas por alunos negros em todos os níveis de ensino, os mecanismos atuantes de racismo institucional que as perpetuam, além de apresentar um panorama das ações afirmativas, na modalidade cotas, a partir dos autores Guimarães (2003), Munanga (2001), Mohelecke (2002). Os dados levantados apontaram que grande parte dos desafios se encontram no âmbito financeiro, como moradia, transporte, alimentação e na necessidade de ações ou programas que contribuam para o desenvolvimento acadêmico, além do reconhecimento e da valorização do pertencimento racial, com espaços e instâncias dentro da universidade para encontros, discussões e apoios entre pares. / The present research that investigated the different challenges faced by black students to study in a public university, which had as a locus the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), Campus São Paulo, and was carried out with students of the courses of Biomedical Sciences, Nursing, Speech Teraphy, and Medicine. For that, an online questionnaire and interviews were carried out, which sought to examine, from the students\' point of view, their relationships with colleagues, teachers and the role of institutional support and how these factors may affect the decision to remain in university. The methodology of research on the retention of black students was based on studies conducted by Tinto (1993), Bean (1980), Cabrera (1994, 1996) and Azzi, Mercuri, and Moran (1995). The analysis was based on studies carried out by Zago (2006), Belettati (2011) and Ezcurra (2009). This study also considered the racial inequalities experienced by Blacks students at all levels of education, the mechanisms of institutional racism that perpetuate them, as well as presenting a broad perspective of affirmative actions, in quota modality, from authors such as Guimarães (2003), Munanga (2001), Mohelecke (2002). The data showed that most of the challenges are in the financial sphere, such as accommodation,, transportation, and the need for actions or programs that contribute to academic development, as well as the recognition and appreciation of racial belonging, with the existence of spaces and instances within to meet, discuss, and peers support.

A presente pesquisa, que investigou os diferentes desafios que podem ser enfrentados por alunos cotistas negros em relação à permanência em uma universidade pública, teve como lócus a Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), Campus São Paulo, e foi conduzida com alunos dos cursos de Ciências Biomédicas, Enfermagem, Fonoaudiologia e Medicina. Para isso, foram realizados um questionário online e entrevistas, os quais buscaram examinar, do ponto de vista dos alunos, como se dá a convivência no ambiente acadêmico, de que forma se estabelecem as relações com colegas, professores e qual o papel do apoio institucional e como esses fatores podem afetar a decisão de permanecer na universidade. A metodologia da pesquisa sobre a permanência dos alunos cotistas negros se baseou em estudos realizados por Tinto (1993), Bean (1980), Cabrera (1994, 1996) e Azzi, Mercuri e Moran (1995). A análise teve como referência estudos realizados por Zago (2006), Belettati (2011) e Ezcurra (2009), que têm como foco a experiência de ingresso de estudantes de camadas populares no ensino superior. A análise também considerou as desigualdades raciais vivenciadas por alunos negros em todos os níveis de ensino, os mecanismos atuantes de racismo institucional que as perpetuam, além de apresentar um panorama das ações afirmativas, na modalidade cotas, a partir dos autores Guimarães (2003), Munanga (2001), Mohelecke (2002). Os dados levantados apontaram que grande parte dos desafios se encontram no âmbito financeiro, como moradia, transporte, alimentação e na necessidade de ações ou programas que contribuam para o desenvolvimento acadêmico, além do reconhecimento e da valorização do pertencimento racial, com espaços e instâncias dentro da universidade para encontros, discussões e apoios entre pares. / The present research that investigated the different challenges faced by black students to study in a public university, which had as a locus the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp), Campus São Paulo, and was carried out with students of the courses of Biomedical Sciences, Nursing, Speech Teraphy, and Medicine. For that, an online questionnaire and interviews were carried out, which sought to examine, from the students\' point of view, their relationships with colleagues, teachers and the role of institutional support and how these factors may affect the decision to remain in university. The methodology of research on the retention of black students was based on studies conducted by Tinto (1993), Bean (1980), Cabrera (1994, 1996) and Azzi, Mercuri, and Moran (1995). The analysis was based on studies carried out by Zago (2006), Belettati (2011) and Ezcurra (2009). This study also considered the racial inequalities experienced by Blacks students at all levels of education, the mechanisms of institutional racism that perpetuate them, as well as presenting a broad perspective of affirmative actions, in quota modality, from authors such as Guimarães (2003), Munanga (2001), Mohelecke (2002). The data showed that most of the challenges are in the financial sphere, such as accommodation,, transportation, and the need for actions or programs that contribute to academic development, as well as the recognition and appreciation of racial belonging, with the existence of spaces and instances within to meet, discuss, and peers support.

Equality and diversity legislation across the UK and Australia has stimulated the health profession sector to make workplace equality and diversity policies transparent to service users (Wadham et al.2010; RCN 2016; GMC 2016; WGEA 2012). However, research literature has identified inequalities within the healthcare workplace as reported by health professions students. Specifically, research has identified issues concerning identities (gender, age, sexuality etc.) adversely interplaying with students' workplace learning experiences (Rees & Monrouxe 2011; Illing et al. 2013;Monrouxe, Rees, et al. 2014). Such negative learning experiences (i.e.discrimination, abuse) have been found to affect students' retention and success (Northall et al. 2016). Despite research shedding light on these issues, studies have typically explored individual identities and demographics and neglected how students' intersecting identities shape their learning experiences, retention and success. Furthermore, research has only offered recommendations for enhancing retention and success of students, rather than exploring the issues affecting retention and success in health professions education. This thesis explicitly explores what and how multiple intersecting personal and professional identities shape healthcare students' learning, retention and success in the context of gendered environments and professions (i.e. male- and female-dominated contexts). Underpinned by social constructionist, narrative and feminist methodologies (Kitzinger 1995; Hunting 2014), I conducted a large secondary analysis on 2255 workplace learning experiences from across the UK and Australia as well as multiple health professions. To follow on from the secondary analysis, I led a multi-site longitudinal audio diary study across two sites in the UK, to explore health professional students' workplace learning experiences in the context of male- and female-dominated environments. Multiple cross-sectional and longitudinal qualitative approaches were employed to explore the data, including thematic, narrative, positioning, and case-study analytic methods. Novel findings from my thesis highlight how participants narrated their intersecting personal and professional identities within male- and female-dominated contexts. I found how recurrent tensions and power imbalances between intersecting identities, learning experiences and environments across time led to an adverse impact on healthcare participants' thoughts and reflections about their learning, retention and success in the health professions. Sensitising the participants to tensions concerning how they negotiate their intersecting personal and professional identities are valuable for understanding and influencing their retention and success. Furthermore, findings from my thesis provide critical recommendations to enhancing healthcare students' workplace learning, retention and success in the health professions, through incorporating intersectionality into healthcare education curricula. The recommendations made in this thesis contribute to helping understand and support a diversifying healthcare workforce and shed light on potential issues around healthcare workforce shortages, which can be addressed through enhancing health professions' educational policies and practice.