Comments on “Mini-medical school programs decrease perceived barriers of pursuing medical careers among underrepresented minority high school students”
-
Krisdaniel Berreta
To the Editor,
I commend the efforts made by Abdulrazzak et al. to identify barriers underrepresented minority (URM) high school students face when applying to medical school [1]. Although there is value in addressing the hardships students may encounter when contemplating a career in medicine, I’d like to expound upon the barriers present for URM medical students and residents in their training and how these barriers might be impeding diversity initiatives to increase minority representation.
There are multiple hardships in medical education encountered by minorities: microaggressions, a sense of lost identity, additional work assigned to URM residents to promote diversity on top of their clinical workload [2], discrimination, absence of minority networking opportunities, and a lack of both diverse and informed faculty who recognize minority issues [3]. As Abdulrazzak et al. noted, high school students perceive a lack of guidance and support as a barrier to considering medical school [1]. It becomes questionable how their barriers can be addressed if a similar, if not equivalent, issue exists for URM medical students and residents in training.
To create a work environment that is conducive to minority well-being seems achievable if change is made at the institutional level. Najibi et al. reported that physicians who were assigned to coach both URM and non-URM medical students failed to identify that the needs of their URM students were unique and different from their non-URM counterparts; contrastingly, the group of URM students who worked with these physicians experienced stress secondary to the lack of acknowledgement for the role identity plays in a minority student’s success [4]. Identity seems to be a key factor in minority well-being. Considering this as a factor that can impede minority success, when not addressed, could be the catalyst for needed change in the field.
Youmans et al. evaluated the impact a resident-led mentorship program for URM students had on the URM resident physician mentors [5]. It was found that mentors believed their work in the program addressed the challenge of underrepresentation in medicine; simultaneously, it also advanced their own academic interest, wellness, and confidence in mentorship [5]. These qualities could be significant in retaining minority physicians who are willing to provide guidance and representation for the future generation of students who apply and matriculate into medical school. Further research is needed on the barriers that URM medical students and residents experience in their training to ensure that a career field that younger URM students perceive as inspiring, inclusive, and empowering can be implemented.
-
Research funding: None reported.
-
Author contributions: The author has accepted responsibility for the content of this manuscript and approved its submission.
-
Competing interests: None reported.
References
1. Abdulrazzak, A, Chandler, A, Lu, R, Mobarakai, O, Lebron, B, Ingram, N, et al.. Mini-medical school programs decrease perceived barriers of pursuing medical careers among underrepresented minority high school students. J Osteopath Med 2021;121:883–90. https://doi.org/10.1515/jom-2021-0125.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
2. Osseo-Asare, A, Balasuriya, L, Huot, SJ, Keene, D, Berg, D, Nunez-Smith, M, et al.. Minority resident physicians’ views on the role of race/ethnicity in their training experiences in the workplace. JAMA Netw Open 2018;1:e182723.10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.2723Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
3. Isik, U, Wouters, A, Croiset, G, Kusurkar, RA. “What kind of support do I need to be successful as an ethnic minority medical student?” a qualitative study. BMC Med Educ 2021;21:6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02423-8.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
4. Najibi, S, Carney, PA, Thayer, EK, Deiorio, NM. Differences in coaching needs among underrepresented minority medical students. Fam Med 2019;51:516–22. https://doi.org/10.22454/fammed.2019.100305.Search in Google Scholar PubMed
5. Youmans, QR, Adrissi, JA, Akhetuamhen, A, Gates, KL, Didwania, AK, Wayne, DB, et al.. The STRIVE initiative: a resident-led mentorship framework for underrepresented minority medical students. J Grad Med Educ 2020;12:74–9. https://doi.org/10.4300/jgme-d-19-00461.2.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central
© 2022 the author(s), published by De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Paralympic golf movement: the links between inclusion and treating the whole person to regain function
- General
- Original Article
- The effects of wearing a mask on an exercise regimen
- Medical Education
- Original Articles
- Promoting cultural competency and osteopathic medicine awareness among premedical students through a summer premedical rural enrichment program
- The effect of postgraduate osteopathic manipulative treatment training on practice: a survey of osteopathic residents
- Musculoskeletal Medicine and Pain
- Original Article
- Optimizing chronic pain management through patient engagement with quality of life measures: a randomized controlled trial
- Pediatrics
- Original Article
- Asthma medications in schools: a cross-sectional analysis of the Asthma Call-back Survey 2017-2018
- Public Health and Primary Care
- Review Article
- Thoracic outlet syndrome: a review for the primary care provider
- Clinical Image
- Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome
- Letter to the Editor
- Comments on “Mini-medical school programs decrease perceived barriers of pursuing medical careers among underrepresented minority high school students”
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Paralympic golf movement: the links between inclusion and treating the whole person to regain function
- General
- Original Article
- The effects of wearing a mask on an exercise regimen
- Medical Education
- Original Articles
- Promoting cultural competency and osteopathic medicine awareness among premedical students through a summer premedical rural enrichment program
- The effect of postgraduate osteopathic manipulative treatment training on practice: a survey of osteopathic residents
- Musculoskeletal Medicine and Pain
- Original Article
- Optimizing chronic pain management through patient engagement with quality of life measures: a randomized controlled trial
- Pediatrics
- Original Article
- Asthma medications in schools: a cross-sectional analysis of the Asthma Call-back Survey 2017-2018
- Public Health and Primary Care
- Review Article
- Thoracic outlet syndrome: a review for the primary care provider
- Clinical Image
- Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome
- Letter to the Editor
- Comments on “Mini-medical school programs decrease perceived barriers of pursuing medical careers among underrepresented minority high school students”
