Diagnosing Racism in Medicine Howard alumna Marie Plaisime, Ph.D., tackles racial bias in health care Marie Plaisime (Ph.D. ’21)
quality. My research investigates the mechanisms through
is a medical sociologist
which health is racialized by examining racial bias, race-
who was recently awarded
based medicine, algorithmic bias, social movements and
the National Science
health policy. My work assesses the complex interactions
Foundation (NSF) Social,
among physicians, nurses and patients in shaping health
Behavioral and Economic
equity.
Sciences Postdoctoral
Q: What does this entail?
Research Fellowship. She completed her doctorate in medical sociology at Howard University and is an alumna of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholars program. She is pursuing her postdoctoral fellowship jointly with the NSF and the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University. Plaisime is studying structural racism, racial bias and race-based medicine in medical education and clinical settings.
Q: What sparked your interest to pursue racial bias in medicine? A: As an interdisciplinary health scholar and medical
A: My study includes two phases to assess medical providers’ perceptions of structural competency pedagogy, race-based medicine and structural racism in medical education. Phase 1 examines medical students’ and residents’ training on racial bias and race-based medicine, especially among those identified as Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), women and persons with disabilities. Phase 2 assesses structural factors that impact provider recommendations. I hope that this research can dismantle the structural barriers that impact diverse communities.
Q: Why is this important to you?
sociologist, I believe that it is critical to assess racism’s
A: As a first-generation Haitian-American woman, and as
impact on the treatments, diagnostic tools, algorithms and
an interdisciplinary health scholar and medical sociologist,
assessments we use to evaluate marginalized patients’
I believe that it is critical to assess racism’s impact on the
health. My training at Howard has well prepared me for the
treatments, diagnostic tools, algorithms and assessments
next steps of my career.
we use to evaluate marginalized patients’ health. Howard
Q: Explain your research examining medical education and race.
A: I am principal investigator on an NSF-funded project entitled, “Moving Beyond Bias: Structural Competency in Medical Education,” which seeks to enhance theories and
University is the only historically Black college and university (HBCU) in the United States with a doctoral program in sociology.
Q: What do you hope you or the greater community will gain from your research?
methodological approaches on structural competency, bias
A: I recognize the need for holistically healthier
and patient-provider interactions to reduce bias and race-
communities, and I am committed to being a part of
based learning across medical institutions. I apply critical
systematic change that will result in inclusive and equitable
quantitative, computational and mixed methodological
health care. I firmly believe that by investigating the social
tools to detect, examine and quantify how structural racism
dynamics that condition the culture of medicine, we can
in medicine jeopardizes health care delivery, access and
develop solutions to achieve optimal care for all.
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