University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
Wright State, Dayton, Ohio.
Ann Fam Med. 2023 Feb;21(Suppl 2):S106-S108. doi: 10.1370/afm.2916.
Addressing the unequal impact of health disparities on historically marginalized communities is a top public health priority. Diversifying the work force has been lauded as key to addressing this challenge. Contributing to diversity in the workforce is the recruitment and retention of health professionals previously excluded and underrepresented in medicine. A major obstacle to retention, however, is the unequal way in which health professionals experience the learning environment. Through this perspective of 4 generations of physicians and medical students, the authors seek to highlight the similarities that have persisted over 40 years in the experiences of being underrepresented in medicine. Through a series of conversations and reflective writing, the authors reveal themes that spanned generations. Two common themes among the authors are the feeling of not belonging and feeling invisible. This is experienced in various aspects of medical education and academic careers. The lack of representation, unequal expectations, and over taxation contributes to the feeling of not belonging, leading to emotional, physical, and academic fatigue. Feeling invisible, yet paradoxically being hyper-visible, is also common. Despite the challenges, the authors conclude with a sense of hope for the future, if not for them, for the generations to come.
解决健康差异对历史上处于边缘地位的社区的不平等影响是公共卫生的首要任务。使劳动力多样化一直被誉为应对这一挑战的关键。促进劳动力的多样性包括招聘和留住以前被排除在医学之外和代表性不足的卫生专业人员。然而，保留的一个主要障碍是卫生专业人员体验学习环境的方式不平等。通过这 4 代医生和医学生的视角，作者试图强调在医学代表性不足的经历中持续了 40 多年的相似之处。通过一系列的对话和反思性写作，作者揭示了跨越几代人的主题。作者之间有两个共同的主题，即归属感和隐形感。这在医学教育和学术生涯的各个方面都有体现。代表性不足、期望不平等和过度征税导致归属感的缺失，导致情绪、身体和学术上的疲惫。隐形感，同时又悖论地是高度可见的，也是常见的。尽管面临挑战，作者还是对未来充满希望，如果不是为了他们，也是为了未来的几代人。
