{"id":19563,"date":"2019-09-10T08:28:09","date_gmt":"2019-09-10T13:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=19563"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:40:44","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:40:44","slug":"the-importance-of-cultural-competence-and-diversity-in-medicine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/usmle\/the-importance-of-cultural-competence-and-diversity-in-medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"The Importance of Cultural Competence and Diversity in Medicine"},"content":{"rendered":"

In such a diverse modern age, it\u2019s hard to believe we still struggle to achieve cultural competence. Yet, unlike in other professions, where diversity is simply a social concern, in the medical field, it is a matter of health and well-being.
\nThe only way we can provide adequate care to patients of all backgrounds is to educate ourselves on different cultures and health issues, both through training and exposure, and to make sure the student population reflects the diversity of the population as a whole.
\nHere are a few ways the medical profession continues to strive towards cultural competence, from physicians and students, to medical institutions.
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Cultural competence starts in medical school<\/h3>
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\nLearning to address the diverse needs of patients begins not in the hospital room, but in the classroom. According to the\u00a0International Journal of Medical Education<\/a>, \u201cMedical schools should be the primary agents of change by taking the necessary steps in their institutional setup, curriculum development, and delivery of medical education.\u201d
\nThus, it\u2019s crucial medical schools begin to admit students from all backgrounds who can relate, empathize, and identify with diverse patients on a professional and personal level. This will contribute to a more diverse physician community, which will in turn encourage more minority students to pursue their medical dreams. It\u2019s also important that the curriculum incorporate cultural competence requirements and that medical professors be trained accordingly.
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Medical professionals are advocating for diversity <\/h3>
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\nMinority physicians experience firsthand the damaging effects of discrimination in their field. With racial tensions running high after the recent U.S. election,\u00a0many are coming forward to emphasize the growing need for cultural competence<\/a>. In the recent\u00a0March for Science event in Boston<\/a>, Dr. Altaf Saadi, a woman and a Muslim, states:
\n\u201cViews that discount the importance of diversity and inclusion also run counter to numerous scientific studies showing that having a diverse range of ideas and perspectives\u00a0breeds innovation and discovery<\/a>. We are stronger, smarter, and more innovative when we open our doors to those from different backgrounds and beliefs.\u201d
\nMedical professionals have also rallied together to form an initiative called\u00a0Tour for Diversity<\/a>. A team of black and Latino medical professionals travel to various colleges around the country, talking to students about\u00a0how to navigate the world of medicine as a minority physician<\/a>. Some of their findings include:
\n\u201cResearch has repeatedly found that underrepresented minorities are more likely to follow medical recommendations when doctors look like them. In addition, according to STAT News, a diverse medical workforce also improves care for traditionally underserved sectors of the population, such as the elderly, those living in rural areas, and minority groups.\u00a0<\/strong><\/strong>
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Minority students are being the change<\/h3>
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\nPerhaps even more powerful than changing curriculums and physician advocacy are the minority students themselves. They offer a unique perspective and sense of comfort and camaraderie that those in higher positions cannot. Every year, 1800 pre-medical and medical students attend the Student National Medical Associations\u2019s Medical Education Conference in Atlanta.
\nNorthwestern is one of these schools, whose students are very passionate about taking the medical profession to the next level of cultural competence. The greatest gift they give to their students is not knowledge but empowerment, facilitating an environment in which minority students can thrive, reach out, and\u00a0be the change they wish to see in the medical world<\/a>:
\n\u201cAs a leading academic medical center, we value the strength of a diverse environment where the best talent, best ideas and most inclusive care can be best facilitated by a Northwestern community that reflects the diversity of our world and is open to diverse points of view,\u201d Yancy said. \u201cThe students we engage from SNMA are our future leaders, practitioners and investigators. We can\u2019t afford to miss our opportunities for excellence.\u201d
\nA recent African American graduate of John Hopkins University articulates this her\u00a0desire to take an active role in bringing about change in her profession<\/a>\u2014not only does she seek to be understood as a minority, but also to understand those who come from a different background than her: \u201cI want to be aware of different traditions and customs, and provide culturally competent care, so we can be one step closer to ensuring that all Americans have positive health outcomes, no matter the race, gender, or socioeconomic status.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In such a diverse modern age, it\u2019s hard to believe we still struggle to achieve cultural competence. Yet, unlike in other professions, where diversity is simply a social concern, in the medical field, it is a matter of health and well-being. The only way we can provide adequate care to patients of all backgrounds is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28592,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[145],"tags":[157],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19563"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19563"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34278,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19563\/revisions\/34278"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}