MOVING FORWARD

UNDER-REPRESENTATION OF POC IN HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONS

In the U.S. & West Virginia

The national average for medical practitioners is 80/20 white/POC. In West Virginia, the ratio is 90/10 white/POC. A deeper look at the data reveals greater disparity. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, only 5% of physicians identify as Black or African-American, despite this group making up 13% of the U.S. population, and fewer than 6% of physicians identify as Hispanic, despite Hispanics making up about 19% of the U.S. population. However, 28% of physicians and surgeons in the U.S. are immigrants, with doctors from India and China making up the largest groups.

People who are part of underrepresented gender, sexual, or racial groups may face obstacles in the healthcare workforce, including fewer job offers and uneven promotion opportunities, as well as challenges accessing the quality education they need to enter the field in the first place.

BREAKING THE CYCLE

Poverty results in poor access to health care, and POC experience higher rates of poverty than the general population. Improved recruitment, engagement, and retention of POC in healthcare professions will help address this disparity.

The poverty rate among West Virginia's Black citizens was 26.9% in2019.
The overall poverty rate among West Virginians was 16%.

"Our federal and state policymakers must act decisively to help families and individuals facing today's extreme levels of hardship, especially children and those in Black, Latino, Indigenous, and immigrant households." - West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy.

WILLIAM A. NEAL MUSEUM OF HEALTH SCIENCES

The William A. Neal Museum of the Health Sciences, located near the historic Pylons sculptures on WVU's Health Sciences campus, preserves stories and artifacts of cultural, artistic, historical, and scientific importance to the medical history of West Virginia and WVU. The Museum is set to open in fall 2021.

The Museum showcases health-related artifacts, rare manuscripts and other holdings from the West Virginia and Regional History Center at the WVU Libraries, as well as items provided by faculty, alumni and friends of the University. Exhibits in the museum highlight historic black hospitals, prominent black physicians such as Henry Gamble and Mildred Mitchell Batemen, and the vast impact of People of Color at WVU. The museum also will feature a multimedia theater, interactive displays, and STEPS innovation exhibit.

WVU HEALTH SCIENCES DIVERSITY INITIATIVES

All across the Health Sciences campus, WVU values diversity, equity and inclusion, but we know we can improve. We're taking action in a number of ways to create the best experience possible for individuals from all walks of life - from admissions and hiring to coursework and campus recreation. Here are just some of the initiatives....

The Director of Outreach and Recruitment for the School of Medicine M.D. program mentors more than 200 pre-medical students per year. Pipeline programs support a diverse applicant pool: Special Operations Medic Pipeline with military applicants, MedStep with Shepherd University students and a program with West Virginia State University, a leading historically Black college/university.
The Behavioral and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) T32 Training Program offers scholarships to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion across scientific disciplines. Selection focuses on research and service, including community-related outreach or clinical service, that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion either within academia or the local community/rural Appalachia.

To learn more about these initiatives, programs and more, visit https://health.wvu.edu/diversity/.