Medical Students Take Part in National Movement to Improve Racial Equity and Cultural Awareness
More than 50 School of Medicine and Dentistry students, residents, and some faculty stood in a circle of solidarity in the Flaum atrium at midday and voiced their desire to end racial bias as part of the national White Coats For Black Lives (#whitecoats4blacklives) movement, which took place at medical schools across the country Dec. 10.
In its second year, the demonstration was timed in honor of International Human Rights Day and featured the theme “Actions Speak Louder Than Words.” Many participants taped their mouths shut in illustration.
While the demonstration included several minutes of standing in silence, it also gave the students an opportunity to read aloud their recommendations to promote racial justice and equality not only within medical schools, but to improve the way health care is provided to people of color across communities.
Topping the list of recommendations was the desire to increase training about implicit bias—assumptions or judgments based on appearance or stereotypes—which can compromise patient care. The group expressed a need to strengthen racial and cultural education across medical institutions, and for people of color to have full access to health care without having to endure financial hardship.
Addressing inequities within the physician workforce was another significant concern to students. Currently, Black and Latino people represent roughly 30 percent of the nation’s population, but only 8.5 percent of the physician workforce. Increasing the numbers of Black, Latino, and Native American doctors is a key step in eliminating health inequities. The group called upon medical schools to continue to increase their percentages of Black, Native American, and Latino students, and for medical schools to keep the cost of education within reach for all.
Second-year medical student Guylda Richard, from Amityville, NY, third-year student Ayala Danzig, from Far Rockaway, NY, and first-year student Chinyere (Chi Chi) Okunji, from Wash., DC, led the peaceful and well-organized event, which was also attended by SMD dean and URMC CEO Mark B. Taubman, M.D., and senior associate dean for Medical Student Education David Lambert, M.D.
“We stand here, with the support of administration, in solidarity with other medical schools across the country, as a first step to implementing changes that will help eliminate racial injustice in the practice of medicine,” said Ayala. “We stand here to implement action so that one year from now we can look back and say, ‘look at how far we’ve come.’”
Mark applauded the students and all participants for the articulate way they expressed the need to improve racial and cultural understanding, correct inequities, and eliminate health care disparities.
“As a nation, we must do more to overcome the conscious and unconscious biases that creep into our everyday interactions,” said Mark. “Listening to our students—our future physicians—is critical to us setting priorities for change. Health care at its core is about human interaction. By embracing our differences—our unique abilities, interests, and skills—we strengthen health care as a whole.”
Published on December 10, 2015