News — Melanin in Medicine*

How Race-Based Medicine Continues to Harm Black Patients

Dr. Stephen Richmond writes about the pitfalls of race-based medicine as well as closing the racial equity gap in this powerful op-ed.

Ryan HuertoFebruary 1, 2020race, racism, health equity, health justice

Why black doctors like me are leaving faculty positions in academic medical centers

In this timely op-ed by Melanin in Medicine profile contributor Dr. Uché Blackstock, Dr. Blackstock describes her difficult decision to leave academic medicine and what academic institutions must do in order to pursue health-equity.

Ryan HuertoFebruary 1, 2020health equity, health justice, workforce diversity, academia

How The Filipino Community Is Fighting Medical Invisibility

Melanin in Medicine profile contributor Dr. Antonio Moya is quoted in this recent Huffington Post op-ed by Leezel Tanglao that describes how “Asian Americans are often put under one medical umbrella, affecting available research and more” And how this is “dangerous for their health.”

Ryan HuertoFebruary 1, 2020Asian, Filipino, stroke, heart attack, health disparities

For minority students, the pipeline to an M.D. is leaky. Here’s how I managed to make it through

In this op-ed, Melanin in Medicine profile contributor Dr. Paula Magee shares her keys to success as a URM student navigating the leaky pipeline toward a career in medicine.

The Case for Desegregation

In this op-ed, Melanin in Medicine profile contributor Dr. Rhea Boyd makes a powerful argument for desegregation of the healthcare system.

Ryan HuertoFebruary 1, 2020workforce diversity, health equity, health justice, desegregation

"1619" Episode 4: How the Bad Blood Started

In the New York Time’s fourth episode of “1619,” titled “How the Bad Blood Started,” the podcast covers how “Black Americans were denied access to doctors and hospitals for decades. From the shadows of this exclusion, they pushed to create the nation’s first federal health care programs.”

Ryan HuertoSeptember 21, 2019diversity, desegregation, healthcare, racism, medicine, social justice

Ghosts of Our Collective Subconscious — What Blackface in a Yearbook Photo Means for Medical Education

Ryan HuertoAugust 11, 2019medical education, implicit bias, racism, anti-racism, health equity, medicine, healthcare

To Prevent Women from Dying in Child Birth, First Stop Blaming Them

“Two-thirds of all U.S. maternal deaths are considered preventable. Racism—not race—is a critical factor.”

Ryan HuertoApril 22, 2019

"SF must address cause of health disparities — a history of housing discrimination"

Melanin in Medicine profile contributors Jazzmin Williams and Laeesha Cornejo recently published an article in the San Francisco Chronicle linking health disparities to a history of housing discrimination in the area.

Ryan HuertoMarch 14, 2019housing discrimination, health disparities, public health, medicine

And the Answer to Your "You're a Doctor?"

Melanin in Medicine profile contributor Dr. Marsha-Gail Davis adds her $0.02 on the #iamyourdoctor conversation.

Ryan HuertoDecember 20, 2018#iamyourdoctor, workforce diversity, representation matters

Restoring our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT)

Learn more about Melanin in Medicine profile contributor Jessica Roach and her team of health-equity workers at ROOTT. Mission and History: ROOTT is a Black women-led reproductive justice organization dedicated to collectively restoring our well-being through self-determination, collaboration, and resources to meet the needs of women and families within communities.

Ryan HuertoDecember 20, 2018reproductive justice, doulas, black lives matter, black mamas matter alliance

"Part of the Equation, but Not Equal"

In her recent NEJM Journal Watch blog, “Part of the Equation, but Not Equal,” Melanin in Medicine profile contributor Dr. Ashley McMullen discusses workforce diversity and the importance of assessing and addressing institutional climate.

Ryan HuertoNovember 30, 2018diversity, inclusion, medicine, workforce diversity

"Good Things Take Time"

Shout out to Melanin in Medicine contributor Dr. Ashley McMullen for her blog “Good Things Take Time,” a beautiful and heartfelt piece on primary care that was recently featured on NEJM’s Journal Watch.

Ryan HuertoNovember 12, 2018primary care

"Re-imagining Medicine and Public Health": The Freedom School for Intersectional Medicine and Health Justice

Congratulations to Melanin in Medicine contributor Bernadette Lim and her colleague Nicole Carvajal for being featured on the front page of the University of Berkeley’s Center for Race and Gender Studies website for their work in founding “The Freedom School for Intersectional Medicine and Health Justice.”

Ryan HuertoNovember 12, 2018women in medicine, intersectionality, health justice, health equity, medical education

Three Questions to Our Future Health Leaders in the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Community

Our very own Melanin in Medicine profile contributor Dr. Antonio Moya wrote a reflection-piece on the light at the end of the tunnel of medical training that was recently featured by the National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians. In it, he shares 3 tips for mentorship, community engagement, and concrete thinking for medical trainees.

Ryan HuertoSeptember 14, 2018Filipino, Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Mentorship, Community, Medical training

"Free tuition for aspiring doctors? Few medical schools could pull off that feat"

Why free medical schools alone are unlikely to increase URM enrollment and the number of graduates going into primary care.

Photosource: JOE RAEDLE/GETTY IMAGES via statnews

Ryan HuertoAugust 28, 2018NYU, medical school, tuition

Health Effects of Police Violence Project

Co-authored by our very own Melanin in Medicine contributor, Prof. David R. Williams, this study looks at police killings in the U.S. of Black Americans and their impact on the mental health of people not directly involved.

Ryan HuertoAugust 24, 2018police violence, mental health, David R. Williams, police brutality

Determined to be a Doctor Someday (D.D.S.)

Founded by our very own Melanin in Medicine contributor, Dr. Christina T. Rosenthal, DDS, MPH, “Determined to be a Doctor Someday” exemplifies the importance of “programs that provide mentorship and resources to students who wish to obtain doctorate degrees in healthcare.

Ryan HuertoAugust 23, 2018pipeline program, diversity, education, doctor

"Top US medical schools failing to reflect minorities, Social Justice Group says"

White Coats for Black Lives (WC4BL), a medical student-run group, has “published a 129-page report that grades medical schools on their work to combat racism.” Photograph: Andrew Nixon / Capital Public Radio

Ryan HuertoAugust 21, 2018WC4BL, White coats for black lives, racism, social justice, medical education

"The Secret to Keeping Black Men Healthy? Maybe Black Doctors"

"Dr. ChaRandle Jordan was one of the doctors who participated in the study. ‘It’s something they don’t teach you in medical school -- taking that extra step because you appreciate there have been barriers in the past,’ he said.” Brian L. Frank for The New York Times

Ryan HuertoAugust 21, 2018Black health, Black doctors, Oakland, workforce diversity, diversity