BACKGROUND:
Clinical education is essential to midwifery training, but the experiences of sexual and gender minority (SGM) students in these settings remain underexplored. Discrimination and exclusion in clinical settings may undermine training quality, professional development, and retention in the workforce.

OBJECTIVES:
To explore differences in clinical training experiences by SGM identity among midwifery students in the United States.

METHODS:
We conducted a national online cross-sectional survey of newly certified midwives (<5 years) in the US, recruited from the US midwifery certifying body. We combined sexual orientation and gender identity responses to characterize whether a respondent identified as SGM versus straight and cis-gender. Multiple measures of clinical education experiences were self-reported. We estimated bivariable and multivariable associations between each measure of clinical education experience and respondents’ SGM status.

RESULTS:
Of the 611 newly certified midwives who completed our survey, 20% of respondents identified as SGM. In bivariable and multivariable models, SGM midwives reported significantly more negative clinical education experiences than their non-SGM peers. They were less likely to report excellent interactions with preceptors, other midwives, and physicians, less likely to report satisfaction with their preceptorship experience, and more likely to report bullying during training. They also scored significantly lower on three validated scales assessing the quality of clinical education.

CONCLUSIONS:
SGM midwifery students face distinct challenges in clinical education that may compromise their training and well-being. These disparities highlight the urgent need for inclusive clinical learning environments, targeted faculty development, and institutional accountability to ensure equity in midwifery education and support a diverse workforce to best meet patient needs.

KEY MESSAGE:
To foster a diverse and resilient midwifery workforce, clinical education must actively address discrimination and create affirming, inclusive spaces for SGM students. Poster session 3 (Group B)