Medical education can play a significant role in reducing health care disparities between underserved and more affluent communities, according to a study published in the May 2007 issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
The research suggested that physicians educated in specialized medical school programs focused on serving poor and minority communities are more likely to practice in underserved areas than those completing a more traditional medical school curriculum. Because these specialized medical education programs are a proven means to keep many committed health care practitioners in underserved areas, they may, as a result, reduce health care disparities.
The study examined the practice locations of graduates from the first 10 years of the Drew Medical Education Program at the University of California, Los Angeles, and their UCLA School of Medicine counterparts, who had completed the more traditional medical curriculum. The authors found that, in comparison to traditional UCLA graduates, twice as many UCLA/Drew graduates, 53 percent to 26 percent, advance to practice in medically disadvantaged areas.
Michelle Ko, lead author of the study and a UCLA/Drew program graduate, said the study was the next step in an attempt to chart the path of medical students enrolled in an inner-city medical education program.
“Building upon our previous study from 2005 that followed students’ early goals and interests, we wanted to assess how strong their commitment was to actually practice in these underserved areas after graduation,” Ko said. “The study shows that a dedicated mission in a medical school can have enormous impact on, and strongly reinforce, a physician’s commitment to practice in underserved communities. From a policy perspective, such programs could serve as a valuable resource for the pipeline of qualified health care professionals for disadvantaged communities.”
The UCLA/Drew medical education program is a unique partnership between the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, with a special mission of serving the poor and underserved. UCLA/Drew students receive basic scientific instruction at UCLA for their first two years and then complete their required core clinical rotations in South Los Angeles.
Susan Kelly, president and CEO of the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, said the study, and its earlier companion piece, demonstrate “with stunning clarity just how successful the UCLA/Drew Medical Education Program has been, as well as the enduring rewards of the original mission and partnership between the two universities that began 26 years ago.”
The authors noted that UCLA/Drew students spend a majority of their clinical time in South Los Angeles, and through their experiences develop ties to the patient population and community. In addition, Drew students’ goals may be further nurtured and reinforced through interactions with like-minded peers and faculty. Students in medical schools with greater racial diversity have more favorable attitudes to underserved populations, the authors added, noting that the student body at Drew is “quite diverse.”
Asserting that the need to train committed physicians to serve the poor and minority communities is perhaps greater than ever, the study concluded: “We believe the UCLA/Drew Medical Education Program can serve as a model for other institutions to counter persistent disparities in access to physician services along the lines of race, ethnicity, income and geography.”
Story courtesy the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, April 27, 2007. This story does not contain original reporting by The Nation’s Health staff.
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