Drop In Black Men In Medical School Will Have Alarming Affects On Community Health

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Drop In Black Men In Medical School Will Have Alarming Affects On Community Health

August 12, 2015 ‐ By Chelcee Johns

2 Comments

Share on FacebookTweet thisPin this on PinterestEmail this story

Shutterstock

I can remember episodes from the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and other Black sitcoms where the wife wanted the husband to make a doctor’s appointment. The whole ordeal took much convincing and treat-baiting. Unfortunately, this isn’t just left for TV episodes. Men seem to have more of a problem going to the doctor, but what can help is speaking with someone who looks like them. A new report shows this may begin to happen less and less as the number of Bblack men in medical school has declined.

The Association of American Medical Colleges found that in 2014, 1,337 Black men applied for medical school while in 1978 there were 1,410 applicants. The number may seem small, but the real issue is that over the past 35 years that number should have grown. It could also have huge consequences for African American communities.

“Not having physicians with whom patients can connect can have a dramatic effect on their health,” Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick told The Root.

Dr. Frederick is a physician and President of Howard University who explained that expansion of Black male medical school applicants should be the goal, as other racial groups of doctors have grown or at least remained steady.

“The dramatic thing about it is that it hasn’t expanded. You would hope that you would have a larger number of African-American males being trained in medicine. That number presents a dramatic fall—the fact that it’s a lower number given the population.”

Black men often face more barriers to medical school, including funding and finding mentors. Frederick has found that the incoming freshmen of black men are scoring high on their standardized tests, but choosing careers in finance over medicine. And while it’s great that these men are succeeding in other fields, a lack of future Black male doctors also means a lack of mentors that can help support and guide young aspiring physicians of color.

The study interviewed doctors and medical students and many stated resilience was a key characteristic necessary to succeed in the field where Black men face many stereotypes regarding their professional growth.

So, what does this mean for the African American community at large? Well, many men and women alike have a certain level of distrust in medical research due to incidents such as the Tuskegee Experiment or even the recent news claiming Planned Parenthood was started with the goal of aborting African American babies. This history often cripples those making decisions to participate in necessary medical research or even making appointments. A decline in Black doctors will only add to this.

“Tuskegee has left a long-lasting impression. Signing up African Americans in clinical research is already a difficult thing to do. It becomes more difficult if you have fewer African American physicians. It can have really dramatic effects in terms of overall health for certain communities,” said Dr.Frederick.

Do you prefer an African American doctor?

http://madamenoire.com/578813/black-men-in-medical-school/

[Darnell 8,478]

what, are the slots being over-run by chinese and korean males? what to do ?

[Janelle2002 3,865]

what, are the slots being over-run by chinese and korean males? what to do ?

Hmmmm problem with communication and reading skills hey?

[Darnell 8,478]

about 2 years ago, in the 'I am Trayvon' Hoodie campaign -

there were various Hoodie Shots of GROUPS of medical students, all male, and all black.

Where are they now, and what happened to the classes of students coming up behind them? Was a marketing program dropped, for some reason, not to fill these slots with Black males? Surely the anti-hoody protests at that medical school would NOT have stopped the student marketing program, right?

grrr.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

about 2 years ago, in the 'I am Trayvon' Hoodie campaign -

there were various Hoodie Shots of GROUPS of medical students, all male, and all black.

Where are they now, and what happened to the classes of students coming up behind them? Was a marketing program dropped, for some reason, not to fill these slots with Black males? Surely the anti-hoody protests at that medical school would NOT have stopped the student marketing program, right?

grrr.

Let me help you out. The article says these qualified men for Medical School are choosing other fields like financing.

What does Trayvon M have to do with this article? I'm highly confused.

[Darnell 8,478]

so it really is a marketing problem. Got it. Thanks !

[Janelle2002 3,865]

so it really is a marketing problem. Got it. Thanks !

Could you please read the article instead of trying to get me to sum it up for you or give you an opinion that I never agreed with.

[Darnell 8,478]

i already read it, Janelle. Sorry. It all boils down to a marketing problem.

Want the right demographic? Keep marketing to it. That's it, that's all.

[Neonred 3,562]

I'll bet you will find an increase in the numbers of black women in medical school. I know this is definetly the case for black women in dental school over the last 35 years.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

I'll bet you will find an increase in the numbers of black women in medical school. I know this is definetly the case for black women in dental school over the last 35 years.

So why do you think their is a decrease in black men?

[Boiler 45,476]

Too busy late night shopping?

[Janelle2002 3,865]

Too busy late night shopping?

hmmmmm no good input as usual.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

i already read it, Janelle. Sorry. It all boils down to a marketing problem.

Want the right demographic? Keep marketing to it. That's it, that's all.

No it doesnt. Medicine is a less accessible career for people from poorer backgrounds - requires a larger investment of time and money. I'd say it directly reflects the socioeconomic differences between ethnic groups.

[Janelle2002 3,865]

No it doesnt. Medicine is a less accessible career for people from poorer backgrounds - requires a larger investment of time and money. I'd say it directly reflects the socioeconomic differences between ethnic groups.

Finally!!! An intelligent response! We need an emoji that jumps up and down for joy!

[lostinblue 1,989]

No it doesnt. Medicine is a less accessible career for people from poorer backgrounds - requires a larger investment of time and money. I'd say it directly reflects the socioeconomic differences between ethnic groups.

That is why many Asian folks that come here have children that become Drs and engineers

While Asian Americans make up only 4% of the U.S. population, Asian-American students make up a much higher percentage of student bodies in top universities around the country. The percentages are astounding: 24% at Stanford, 18% at Harvard, and 25% at both Columbia and Cornell. More Asian Americans over the age of 25 have bachelor’s degrees and advanced degrees than any other race or ethnic group. And after outperforming their colleagues in school, Asian Americans also bring home higher incomes than their non-Asian counterparts – almost $10,000 more annually than the rest of the population (2002 statistics).

So what does this mean? Are Asian students simply smarter? Contrary to what much of the public may believe, Asian students are no more intellectually gifted than non-Asian students are. The reason that Asian students outperform their peers in the classroom has nothing to do with how they were born and everything to do with how they are raised.

http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/parenting-students-to-the-top/