PERSONAL PERSPECTIVES ON DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, AND INCLUSION “Racism is a public health crisis and we need to work together to address it.” Dr. Alam graduated from Howard University College of Medicine and aspires to become an emergency medicine physician and to bring healing, address inequities, and reduce disparities in underserved communities. “I recently graduated from Howard University College of Medicine and took the opportunity Mustafa Alam, MD of doing academic research in Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. As 2020 progressed, the city would also become the center of the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19. “Many people can share personal stories of how COVID-19 has impacted their lives. It has been a challenging period for many hospitals, communities, and individuals. It is still a battle being fought. One result we have seen is the disproportionate number of patients that were infected and the mortality from this virus towards people of color.
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“In the midst of this worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, the world also witnessed the tragic murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. The videos of their deaths are haunting; watching lives taken so unjustly was jarring to see. In many cities protests and marches demanded justice for these individuals. The images and events reminded people of the public health crisis which has affected our nation for many years: Racism. “If we anatomically look at racism, it seems to be ingrained in different aspects of our society. It is seen in the health disparities we may come across with the medical care of our patients. It is seen in the socioeconomic disparities of the population in the communities we serve. It is felt when we see injustice from our legal system and/or law enforcement officials in the treatment of people of color. “Emergency medicine is a specialty that can address this health crisis in a unique way. I was happy to see emergency medicine physicians taking the lead in addressing this issue. For myself, emergency medicine, is my chosen medical specialty. I want to become an emergency medicine physician and practice in underserved communities. As the first doctor in my family and a person of color, I also have been a victim of racism. Racism causes a pain you would not wish upon any other human being. It wounds and hurts with each infliction. When I think about racism, I want to do my best to address it and to end it. Many underserved communities have families and individuals who have been victims of racism or of systemic racism within their communities.
