Senior year at my school is a big year, students have the opportunity to delve into a year-long project on a topic they are passionate or curious about. I am taking this opportunity to do a project looking into medical racism, along with the importance and significance of Black women doctors and midwives. If you didn't know Black women have the highest maternity and newborn mortality rates in the U.S. This is especially true for where I live (New Jersey) and this being one of the biggest issues New Jersey faces, along with many other states.
I am passionate about a future in medicine, especially women's health. Motivated I began to seek out midwives and OB/GYN professionals on social media to follow for inspiration and most aspiring doctors do. However, I made sure to follow a diverse range of midwives and doctors from different ethnic backgrounds, and I gratefully got exposed to the institutionalized racism in our hospitals and health care system. A veil of healthcare being an unbiased profession that treats all patients with decency and respect was burned. It turned into ash when I started to gather information on the treatment of Black women in medicine as patients and doctors. Driven I had to find out the history and reason behind this disparity and I did not have to go back too far in time.
It's amazing how many connections one can make to today's society and Antebellum slavery. I have dedicated my capstone project to look into the history of the White doctor, the Black women midwives and doctors, and the impact today. I am looking into why Black women doctors and midwives are essential to the Black community and getting adequate care. It would be disappointing for me to become an OB/GYN doctor without understanding the disparities and treatment that negatively affect patients.
I am so excited about this project, for I will carry the knowledge I obtain on every step of my educational journey. Constantly advocating for my patients and their health rights, along with making sure they feel heard.
I will be posting mini journals on my progress through my capstone hear.
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