This book is a rallying call for change within the medical and African American communities. Ms. Washington very adroitly points out that African Americans cannot afford to be passive. Increased participation in ethically designed medical studies and an increase in the number of African American physicians and health care professionals would be a boon for African Americans suffering from serious diseases and potentially lead to better preventive care in general.
Understanding history as it pertains to the US medical establishment and African Americans is very important. In addition to Ms. Washington's book, African American students and parents should also be aware that although 13% of the US population is African American they comprise only 4% of US physicians. The reasons for this disparity are unclear.
A recent study of African American high school juniors in Wisconsin that was recently published in the Journal of the National Medical Association concluded that major barriers to becoming a physician include: financial constraints, lack of knowledge about medicine, little/no encouragement from home and school, racism in medicine, negative peer views on excelling academically, and lack of African American role models in the community and on television to name just a few.
Maybe this information about the dearth of African American physicians of color is getting out to our communities albeit better late than never. The 2007 entering class to medical schools is the largest ever and includes more male African Americans and Hispanics. The applicant pool in general includes more people of color. It is expected that the US will face a serious shortage of physicians in the future, and the increased interest in medicine by students of color is extremely encouraging.
Your comments are truly appreciated. Please send to: tlj135@netscape.net
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