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first-year medical student at Howard University and a University of Miami class of 2020 graduate, Jabari-Ture G. Brooks said the United States refuses to truly provide equal care and access to people regardless of their cultural or socioeconomic background. According to him, African American communities are bombarded with more chronic diseases and health issues simply due to their lack of access to quality health care. “The COVID-19 outbreak makes this plainly clear. Now more than ever, we need an increase in diversity in the health sector. We also need a true commitment to providing equitable healthcare to all people and finding ways to understand the social and cultural influences on health,” Brooks said. A major problem in the health care system is a general lack of research on the effects of certain diseases and health risks in minority communities. Topics such as the effects of UV rays on melanated skin and how coronary heart disease impacts African Americans disproportionately in the United States, reflect studies whose findings are flawed in their range of application to the general population. Still, they continue to be taught to studetns in medical school courses. A Hispanic student at UM’s Miller School of Medicine, who asked to remain
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anonymous, pointed to the process of kidney dysfunction as an example. Kidney function tests include measuring the level of creatinine that the body produces and comparing it to the body mass typical of that person’s race. This is because African Americans are expected to have greater body mass than any other race, regardless of individual body masses, she explained, but this stereotype can have dangerous results. Although a white bodybuilder would likely have a greater body mass than a short Black person with a sedentary lifestyle, the latter would be held to a higher range of creatinine production to be considered healthy. Stigmas like these increase the risk of misdiagnosis and improper treatment for minorities. Implicit bias is a factor that can influence not only care in the moment, but the foundation of a doctor’s approach to medicine. Dr. Michael Touchton, a professor of political science and global health at the Miller School of Medicine, explained that he has witnessed minor incidents of implicit bias in his career, including some as fundamental as a course’s reference material. However, he said he believes these issues are beginning to be better addressed in the global health care community today. The anonymous Miller student agreed, saying Miller’s coursework addresses racial bias. “Miller does a great job of making us aware of racial disparities in different areas,” she explained. “We work on clinical skills and we also have discussions revolving around things that are wrong in our healthcare system.” She also discussed the impact lack of insurance has on one’s access to care, “Physicians,” she said, “have relinquished their power in terms of insurance, and insurance companies are run by business-minded people who do not have a healthcare provider’s point of view.”
