Background Finding that enrollment of Underrepresented in Medicine students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences was considerably below the national average, researchers sought to understand the experiences of minority students. The goal is to develop an academic and social support structure that sustains and attracts students of diverse backgrounds and races. Method Individual interviews of eight matriculated Black medical students and a focus group were conducted, with Institutional Review Board approval, to obtain feasible methodologies and implement change. Student's perspectives and experiences regarding their institution were investigated using qualitative thematic analysis. Results The analysis revealed six themes from the individual interviews: Experience as a minority; Admission process; Difference in backgrounds; Curriculum culture; Diversity at the school; Military medicine. The overarching message from the students was “If you don’t see yourself represented somewhere, it’s hard to believe that you belong.” The focus group made four recommendations: Add a minority viewpoint to curriculum; Add textbooks that portray black skin; Collaborate with Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Increase recruitment of Black students and faculty. Conclusion It is hard for minority students to believe they belong in environments without the representation and infrastructure needed to support their unique needs. Implementing ideas, such as those described in this report, is an important step towards creating inclusion and equity.
Introduction The purpose of this study was to report on the career accomplishments of Public Health Service (PHS) alumni from the Uniformed Services University (USU) School of Medicine (SOM) in several professional areas such as specialty choice, board certification rates, leadership roles, academic achievements, deployments, and length of service. Materials and Methods This study was conducted using the data obtained from the Long-Term Career Outcomes Study Alumni Survey. The cohort included all alumni who graduated from the SOM classes of 1980-2017. We analyzed the frequency distributions of the survey items of interest of the PHS alumni. Results Out of the 144 PHS alumni we reached, 39 responded, yielding a 27.1% response rate. 56.0% of PHS alumni entered primary care specialties and 97.0% were board certified in their first residency trained specialty. 30.6% of PHS alumni completed residency training in a military facility. 87.2% of PHS alumni have been in a leadership role since medical school, and 67.6% of PHS alumni currently hold a leadership role. 7.7% of PHS alumni have deployed for ≥30 days to a theater of combat operations. 66.7% and 71.8% of PHS alumni engaged in medical humanitarian and volunteering missions, respectively, and 75% of PHS alumni stayed in active duty longer than their initial commitment. 71.8% of PHS alumni were published in peer-reviewed journals and 17.6% were academically affiliated with USU. Conclusions Our findings suggest that PHS alumni are likely to enter primary care specialties, engage in medical volunteering and humanitarian missions, frequently remain in uniform longer than their initial active duty commitment, and are affiliated with numerous universities and medical schools throughout their career. PHS alumni appear to be successfully meeting the mission set forth by the U.S. PHS.
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