Racial Inequality in Medicine

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Tiffany N Brown PLLC, Staff Psychologist/Embedded Psychologist, University of Pennsylvania

Dr. Tiffany N. Brown is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Adjunct Professor. She earned her doctorate from Howard University and completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Penn Medicine: University of Pennsylvania Health System. Through Dr. Tiffany N Brown PLLC, Dr. Brown provides therapy to individuals and families and works closely with businesses and organizations to provide mental health education via workshops, speaking engagements, and private consultations. At the University of Pennsylvania, she works as a psychologist for Perelman School of Medicine and specializes in the mental health of medical students.

@drtiffanynbrown - IG

www.drtiffanynbrown.com

PGY2 Resident of Psychiatry at Texas Tech Health Science Center El Paso

Dr. Oyeka is a resident psychiatrist passionate about addressing and researching socioeconomic disparities as they relate to health and wellness. She is also a graduate of Duke University and a former Bill Gates Millennium Scholar, opportunities which have allowed her to pursue a career in medicine and mental health. She is finishing her residency at Texas Tech El Paso.

COPD & Nicotine Cessation Program Coordinator at St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho & Mental Health Counselor at Ambitions of Idaho in Nampa, Idaho

Gabrielle Davis (she/her) is a respiratory therapist and counselor in Idaho. Outside of the health/ mental health care field, Gabby is an adjunct professor at a local university and is the facilitator for Youth Alliance for Diversity, a LGBTQIA+ youth group in Boise where she is constantly reminded why kids are better than adults. In her free time, Gabby enjoys reminding people that Black, Queer and Trans Lives are included when saying "Black Lives Matter," dispelling myths about the definition of allyship, encouraging folks to say "I don't know" instead of pretending to know, and bringing awareness to the fact that nicotine is one of the most addictive substances. Gabrielle lives in Boise with her wife and enjoys being a professional troublemaker whenever her time allows.

Licensed Social Worker & Founder of MissGuidedNotions.com

Sandrine Etienne is a licensed social worker based in the New York City area with sixteen years of experience in the healthcare field. She works directly with people of color who are dealing with chronic and debilitating illnesses with a focus on providing resources that can help them adapt to life-changing events. Sandrine is a published writer, podcaster and founder of MissGuidedNotions.com -- a social and digital platform focusing on topics dealing with racial disparities in health care, self-advocacy, education, and empowerment.

University of Connecticut School of Medicine

Kavisha Thakkar is a third-year medical student at the University of Connecticut. She has had a longstanding interest in researching and discussing health disparities in medicine.  Her past research has included examination of disparities in maternal health as well as mental health, in collaboration with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). She hopes to use her research and personal experiences to shed light on the prevalence and pervasiveness of racial disparities in mental health.

Senior Manager, Institutional Delivery and Academic Equity

Natecia Smith is a 10-year Kaplan veteran, first-generation student, and Florida native (born and raised!), with a long-standing passion for educational equity. Her passion for education and improving educational opportunities started from her personal experiences navigating school and resources as a young black woman in a primarily white elementary school district and eventually in an under-resourced, minoritized magnet Middle school. This passion translated in many ways throughout her career: tutoring at local schools, supporting international English Language Learners in College, having an Academic focus in History to better understand the context that led to current challenges, and now working as the Senior Manager of Academics for the Kaplan Partner Solutions team. When Natecia is not pursuing her educational passions, she can be found listening to podcasts, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with her family.

Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System and Senior Associate Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy and Community

Dr. Butts is currently Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the Mount Sinai Health System and Senior Associate Dean for Diversity Programs, Policy and Community Affairs for the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  In these roles, Dr. Butts is responsible for oversight, management, and integration of all aspects of diversity programs and policies for the Mount Sinai Health System to ensure diversity and inclusion as an integral core institutional value and resource across the health system, including the medical and graduate schools, graduate medical education and the Mount Sinai Hospitals Group. He has been acknowledged for his leadership and service by the Network Journal Top Black Doctors in New York Metro Area recognition on several occasions; by the National Association of Minority Medical Educators with the Distinguished Service to Health Award; and by the National Hispanic Health Foundation for Leadership for Improving the Health of Hispanic Communities.

Director of the Health Careers Program, Associate Professor in the Environmental and Health Sciences Program, Spelman College

Rosalind Gregory-Bass, M.D., C'92, is the director of the Health Careers Program and associate professor in the Environmental and Health Sciences Program. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from Spelman College, Dr. Bass received her M.S. and M.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. Her passion is developing curricula and innovative experiences that facilitate the training of the nation’s next generation of healthcare professionals. She has worked at Spelman College for 14 years and has assisted in the acceptance of over 250 students.

University of Arkansas Medical Sciences (UAMS), Executive Director, Div of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Professor, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Dr. Richard-Davis is a native of south Louisiana, born in Opelousas and grew up in Baton Rouge. She is the Executive Director for the UAMS Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She is also a tenured Professor in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Division Director for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, as well as Medical Director for the Physician Assistants program. Dr. Richard-Davis has more than 30 years of experience in women’s health and reproductive endocrinology and in general obstetrics and gynecology. She has served in leadership positions in medical professional societies, including the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG). She recently joined the Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at UAMS as Executive Director. Throughout her career, she has been a fierce supporter and advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. Much of her work in research has been focused on conditions that disproportionately affect women of color.

Temple University School of Medicine MS1

As a Black and Latina first-year medical student, I understand the challenges of navigating the journey to medical school as an underrepresented minority in medicine. In our pursuit of becoming a physician, every medical student has a unique background and experiences to share about their journey along the way.  My passions in medicine include the intersection of medicine with sociology, and I am currently studying for my master's degree in Urban Bioethics at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine.

Senior Manager, Institutional Delivery and Academic Equity

Natecia Smith is a 10-year Kaplan veteran, first-generation student, and Florida native (born and raised!), with a long-standing passion for educational equity. Her passion for education and improving educational opportunities started from her personal experiences navigating school and resources as a young black woman in a primarily white elementary school district and eventually in an under-resourced, minoritized magnet Middle school. This passion translated in many ways throughout her career: tutoring at local schools, supporting international English Language Learners in College, having an Academic focus in History to better understand the context that led to current challenges, and now working as the Senior Manager of Academics for the Kaplan Partner Solutions team. When Natecia is not pursuing her educational passions, she can be found listening to podcasts, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with her family.

Executive Director, Kaplan Educational Foundation

Nancy Lee Sánchez is the Executive Director for the Kaplan Educational Foundation. Nancy is responsible for the design and implementation of the Kaplan Leadership Program, a community college to four-year advisement model, focusing on selective college admissions and developing the whole student while preparing them for a lifetime of socially conscious leadership. Nancy has over 18 years of expertise in providing access, improving the college experience, and supporting leadership among low-income, underrepresented and non-traditional students. As a 2014 National Hispanic Executive Leadership Fellow, Nancy completed an Executive Leadership Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Nancy’s educational journey started at Kingsborough Community College, where she earned an AAS. She later went on to earn a BA from Long Island University and holds an MA from Brooklyn College.

B.A., Second Year Medical Student, University of Pennsylvania

Zonía Moore is an MD candidate at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. Zonía is also a poet and photographer. She is highly motivated to address equity-related issues in today's world with innovation and advocacy and can be reached on Twitter @tzoniaa or online at zoniamoore.com.

As co-president of UPenn's SNMA chapter, an organization dedicated to supporting black medical students and developing a generation of culturally inclusive and structurally aware physicians, we developed this list of initiatives to promote racial equity at our school (http://tinyurl.com/psomequityinitiatives). I'm linking a summary in the hopes that making it public will help hold our institution accountable.

To learn more about Zonía's personal projects, visit Vot-ER, a national nonpartisan initiative that is targeted at registering young, black and brown, and poor voters through the ER, which many of them use for primary care services. You can also learn more about her recent projects via her personal Instagram and Twitter account.

M.D. Candidate 2024, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Addie moved to the United States at the age of four. Before entering medical school, Addie completed her Bachelor's Degree in Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado at Boulder, then completed one year of cardiology research and clinical apprenticeship. As a first-year medical student, Addie is embarking on a journey in conducting cardiovascular research at the Children's Hospital Colorado Heart Lung Center. As a student, Addie has been involved in co-founding a racial bias Book Club, as well as co-founding the Pre-Health Achievement Association, an organization that that helps underrepresented minority pre-health students gain experiences in some of the "intangible," yet vital, aspects of getting into health professions schools, such as gaining access to a mentor, pursuing research and clinical opportunities, and completing focused personal statement and interview preparation. Addie is passionate about facilitating a synergetic relationship between practicing effective healthcare delivery and cross-cultural awareness and hopes to continuously grow as an advocate for racial justice in the medical field.

CUSOM (Anschutz Medical Campus) Black Student Colledtive Initiative:

We, the Black Student Collective (BSC) at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, have composed a document of action items addressing the reduction of racial injustices on the Anschutz Medical Campus. We hope that you read this document and sign your name in support and solidarity of the BSC.

This link contains the Black Student Collective Resolution, current signatures of support, and the option to sign the resolution: https://sites.google.com/view/cusomblackstudentcollective/home

Please feel free to share this message (students, family, friends, preceptors, etc.). If you have any questions, please reach out to blackstudentcollectivecusom@gmail.com.

In Solidarity and with thanks,

Black Student Collective, CUSOM

Personal initiative:

The Pre-Health Achievement Association (PHAA) is a nonprofit organization led by health profession students that helps provide comprehensive pre-health preparation  support and opportunities for undergraduate-level underrepresented minority (URM) students. We assist students pursuing any health care field, including pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-PA, and more! If you do not live in Colorado but would still like to apply to PHAA, please contact phaacolorado@gmail.com. If you are a health professions student (medical/dental/PA/NP/etc.) and would like to start a local PHAA chapter in your area, please also contact phaacolorado@gmail.com.

PHAA Colorado website: https://phaacolorado.wixsite.com/phaa

PHAA Colorado Instagram handle: @phaa_colorado 

MS3, Yale School of Medicine

Aishwarya studied chemical engineering and biology at the University of Florida prior to starting medical school. Since matriculating, she’s grown very interested in the overlap between the humanities and medicine. She is currently a third-year medical student at Yale University.

Senior Manager, Institutional Delivery and Academic Equity

Natecia Smith is a 10-year Kaplan veteran, first-generation student, and Florida native (born and raised!), with a long-standing passion for educational equity. Her passion for education and improving educational opportunities started from her personal experiences navigating school and resources as a young black woman in a primarily white elementary school district and eventually in an under-resourced, minoritized magnet Middle school. This passion translated in many ways throughout her career: tutoring at local schools, supporting international English Language Learners in College, having an Academic focus in History to better understand the context that led to current challenges, and now working as the Senior Manager of Academics for the Kaplan Partner Solutions team. When Natecia is not pursuing her educational passions, she can be found listening to podcasts, enjoying the outdoors, and spending time with her family.