In recent years, there has been a predicted shortage of physicians in the United States of America by 2025, numbering between 46,000 and 90,000 physicians for a growing United States population 1. However, the more pressing issue will be an even bigger shortage of minority physicians. Minorities are underrepresented in medical facilities as students and faculty. However, one minority especially has been on the decline since 1978. African American males in the medical field have been on a steady downward trend. In 1978, 1,410 African American males applied to medical school, compared to 2014, when 1,337 African American males applied to medical school 2. This downward trend is concerning to many persons both inside and out of the medical field. A recent article published by the …show more content…
In the introduction to the article, Marc Nivet, the Chief Diversity Officer for the AAMC, wrote “the inability to find, engage, and develop candidates for careers in medicine from all our members of society limits our ability to improve healthcare for all 3. Diversity in medicine will benefit people in all races, genders, and ethnicities, and will provide an increase in the quality of healthcare for the United States population. A new generation of minority physicians is a step towards eliminating health inequalities for the rapidly changing United States population 4. Consequently, more minority physicians will lead to an increase in racial minority participation in clinical research. According to the National Cancer Institute, more white people participate in their studies, despite the higher mortality rate of African Americans due to cancer 5. By solving the issue of diversity in medicine, especially the issue with the decline of African American males, the medical community can make huge advances in the ability to provide high quality healthcare for
Black or Negro doctors were not common in America during the first half of the century: 500, or about 2.6%, of New York City’s 19,000 physicians were Negro in 1963 (Curtis 64). New York City and Chicago are major cities in the United States, they also are similar when it came to population. It is to say that since New York City only had a few Black Physicians during the time then Chicago reflected the same range of numbers when it came to their black physicians. In fact, African-Americans had only made up “3% of all professional workers in [New York City] in 1950”(Curtis 64). African American women were allowed to work in the medical professions but they were mostly limited to the nursing
In looking on the subject of race you realize there is a racial stigma when it comes to health care. The American health care system is geared to treat the majority, while the minority suffers. As one looks at the African American society we see the racial discrimination in the health care system. According to the American heart association, “African Americans are 28% more likely
population. They only make up 4% of physicians; of these 4% only 2% percent are female. With regards to this, diversity in the medical profession is important. As an aspiring future African-American female physician, I will have an opportunity to directly impact minority communities and empathize with my patients. I would like to become a physician to improve healthcare in my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. The poverty rate in Birmingham a predominately African-American city is 30.9%. The average household income in the city is less than $32,000, as a consequence of low income levels; the rate of health disparities is greatly
A reformation of the achievement levels of African-Americans starts through the investment of high achieving mentors, families, and friends. It begins with African-Americans straying away from statistical choices, such as placing improper value on education, community involvement, and health. The overcoming of such adversities involved with being an African-American woman has propelled my career goals. By striving to become a pharmacist and non-profit leader I am showing that the accomplishments of African-American women in health and leadership are not abnormal. One of the major causes of minority health disparities is the lack of minority health providers. As a healthcare provider, I will be better able to promote wellness in minority populations.
With such glaring evidence on structural racism within the medical field, it is not surprising that people of color face disparities.
Furthermore, to decrease this minority physician gap, more minorities need to complete their secondary-institution degree. In the study conducting by Underrepresented in Medical Minority faculty
The physician is expected to demonstrate an awareness of injustices pervasive throughout their local communities, as well as the global community. Moreover, the physician must exhibit dedication to the rectification of these inequities by leveraging their knowledge, resources and positions in order to lead, and to effect change. As an Ethiopian-Canadian, the issue of minority underrepresentation in healthcare is a matter that I find profoundly riveting. Clinical trials are often conducted utilizing cohorts lacking appropriate minority representation. This results in findings lacking suitable generalizability. As the practice of medicine is rooted in evidence garnered by such trials, this oversight results in the inevitable sub-standard care
Health care disparities in the United States occur on the provider level. The implicit biases providers are susceptible to help shape physician behavior and produce differences in medical treatment across a host of demographic characteristics but mainly along the lines of race and ethnicity. This paper focuses mainly on the relationship between providers and Black Americans. There is a complex and historical relationship between providers and Black Americans which dates back to the 16th century that is the basis for the biases physicians exhibit towards this particular minority group in today’s healthcare system. Contrary to popular belief, the Tuskegee Syphilis Study in 1932 is not the forerunner to a host of medical abuses committed against
Minority care quality in California is rapidly declining because of the shortage of minority physicians in practice. One might wonder why such a problem exists, but differences in cultural and ethnic identities between doctors and patients alter the quality of care because of preexisting stereotypes, health disparities, and linguistic gaps. Minorities in California consist of those other than non-Hispanic whites, and with their growing presence, they are becoming further underrepresented in the medical field. The foundation of this problem is the declining number of minority students attending medical school and the lack of diversity in medical school faculty. With a greater ethnic diversity in the medical field, comes a better quality of
I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation to give my highest recommendation for Richard Nguyen for the position of a Research Associate at Hennepin County Medical Center. As the leader of our Organization, the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS), I have had the privilege of working with Richard for over a year now. The aim of MAPS is to support the needs of scholars from underrepresented communities and prepare them for challenging careers within medicine. Richard has demonstrated exceptional leadership within the organization, and continues to amaze me with his accomplishments.
Health care providers receive little or no training on issues of race and racism. As a result, awareness of racism and its impact on health care delivery is low. Until racial issues are honestly addressed by members of the health care team, it is unlikely that we will see significant improvements in racial health care disparities for Americans. Barriers to racial health care equity therefore includes the health care system (insurance, funding), the patient (poor health literacy, fear, mistrust), the community (awareness, advocacy), and the health care providers (bias, attitudes, expectations, stereotyping). Nelson, (2016).
Discrimination and the differential quality of medical care African-Americans receive are seen in all levels of professional healthcare workers. Dr. Tweedy, a prominent psychiatrist and author of New York Times Bestseller A Black Man in a White Coat, has made claims about the difficulties and differences in healthcare treatment quality African-Americans receive (Weintraub, 2016). Studies from many medical professionals show that African-Americans face lesser quality and differential treatment due to social stigma and racial biases, whether these patients are in the Emergency Department, or seen by different health care professionals, such as registered nurses and surgical clinicians (Pletcher et. al, 2008; Haider et. al, 2015). The accumulation of discrimination, racial biases, and communication barriers between African-American patients and physicians are the reasons why African-Americans receive differential quality in medical care. The most effective way to improve and decrease these quality differences is to be proactive and educate health care workers by improving interpersonal skills and increasing awareness and cultural sensitivity training in both current and future healthcare professional workers.
Racial categories play a significant role in healthcare and research, and should not be eliminated. Firstly, studying race advances health care research because it adds a layer of understanding between the doctor and the patient; the researcher and the subject. Race is a real aspect of human life, and ignoring it completely will make a superficial relationship between health care professionals and their patients. By studying the behavior of physicians, a 2010 study concluded “patient race is important to physicians when making decisions about preconception genetic testing and that decision making is influenced by patients’ physical characteristics” (Bonham et al. 2010). Patient race was important to the physicians’ decision making skills.
Hey Leon, I think that it would be great for minority practitioners and other health care professionals to practice in medically underserved areas to provide health care to vulnerable populations. To encourage health careers for individual or color, the wealthy black entrepreneur needs to reach out and give back to their communities by financially funding health scholarships and grants to help low-income families and minorities. In addition, programs need to be implemented to reach minority health professions students before they enter the job market through the loan repayment.
The Tuskegee Study is a great example of why minorities tend to seek health care services from individuals that they can identify with. The gaps in health care access and the disparities faced by minorities will not be resolved by recruiting other minorities into the allied health care profession, but it will most certainly improve access to health care. If a group or population is not able to communicate with someone in the health care profession due to a language barrier, it may prevent a patient from getting the health care services that they need. Access to health care also refers to being able to communicate with a health care professional, with which a patient feels comfortable receiving health care services