In the U.S., Black people make up for 13% of the population; however, only 4% of the U.S physicians are Black and only 2% of those Black physicians are women. There is a need for diversity of race and gender in our healthcare system, however, there are blockages that are preventing Black people from pursuing medicine as shown from a study down by Vijaya Rao and Glenn Flores, MD. The reasons are not listed in any particular order and I will be basing this list on the study.
Wanting to Pursue a Career in Medicine Poses Financial Challenges: The cost of college and medical school is one of the biggest barriers that Black children are facing. Higher education is not affordable and who would want to be in debt for a large portion of their life. However, one may say well take out loans and scholarships, although, as one student in the study stated, “...Some people might not be able to find a way to afford [college] even with loans and scholarship. And that’s before medical school”. We need to have more programs or larger scholarships supporting students of color, guiding them through their journey of medicine without the worry of financial assistance is at the top of their list. The rate of tuition is going up seemingly every year, however, Black people's wealth is not matching that rate.
Wanting to Pursue a Career in Medicine But A Lack of Family and Peer Support: There are probably plenty of Black children that dream of healthy people around them by pursuing medicine, however, there is a lack of home support. Having no support from the people closest to you can be demotivating and crushing leading one to pursue something else. In the household, “there [are] lower or no expectations of becoming a physician” and from friends “pursuing academic excellence puts them at risk of being socially ostracized or being accused of ‘acting white’”. If Black people can not see themselves as doctors or the people in their community as doctors, what makes one thing they will encourage or support to see their children or younger family members a doctor? In addition, with medicine as a predominately white field and far from the Black community Black adults and children may insult and turn their backs to Black people that wish to pursue it. The medicinal community and the Black community need to do better as a whole to educate each other about the possibilities that can be pursued. The medical community needs to put effort into educating different communities about the different professions in medicine and how there is space for all. How pursuing higher education is not White. In addition, looking into HBCU, (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) where they are surrounded by a support system of people that look like them that have similar goals and would be able to acquire moral and financial support.
Wanting to Pursue a Career in Medicine But The Imagine of a Physician: if you were to google search “physician” you would see mainly al white faces with a few specks of Black and other ethnicities in the search. People fail to understand this, but REPRESENTATION MATTERS. If Black children cannot see people who look like them in the field, they are not going to feel a part of it. Young children mainly see that “typically physicians are white and male”. If young girls were to search up doctors and see plenty of Black women doctors, they could see there is a place in medicine for them. We as a society need to put the effort into putting doctors of color on the front page and not just White doctors.
Wanting to Pursue a Career in Medicine But The Racism and Discrimination in Healthcare: In the study, the students stated, “they were deterred from pursuing a medical career by their fear of racist remarks being made by white physicians and white patients”. Although, this fear is very much true, and something today Black doctors must face and with Black women doctors let’s add sexism to the list too. The healthcare system needs to work to make the work environment for Black (women) doctors a safe space and is able to hold people accountable. They need to make the workspace a zone where Black (women doctors) have the same opportunities as their White peers and give them space to not have to deal with racist patients.
Understanding these few points, it is understandable that America, the healthcare system, and the Black community have work to do when it comes to promoting Black (women) doctors.
Comments