The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06268, USA.
J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2024 Jun;11(3):1153-1156. doi: 10.1007/s40615-024-01990-6. Epub 2024 Apr 1.
The underrepresentation of Black doctors is a significant issue in the US that led to the perpetuation of health disparities in the African American community. Racial and ethnic minorities in the US have been shown to have higher rates of chronic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, as well as higher rates of obesity and premature death compared to White people. While Blacks make up more than 13% of the US population, they comprise only 4% of US doctors and less than 7% of medical students. It is believed that this problem requires more deliberate efforts by policymakers and the educational establishment, not only at the undergraduate and medical school level, but earlier in the educational "pipeline"-the K-12 school system. While the medical field is rooted in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), we have launched a new initiative that will provide year-round STEM development activities for K-12 education in Connecticut in Hartford and Waterbury districts, especially among populations with health disparities.
美国黑人医生人数不足是一个严重的问题，导致非裔美国人社区的健康差距持续存在。美国的少数族裔和少数民族患慢性疾病（如高血压、糖尿病和心血管疾病）的比率较高，肥胖和过早死亡的比率也高于白人。尽管黑人占美国人口的 13%以上，但他们仅占美国医生的 4%，不到医学生的 7%。人们认为，这个问题需要政策制定者和教育机构更加刻意的努力，不仅在本科和医学院层面，而且在教育的“管道”——K-12 学校系统更早的时候。虽然医学领域根植于科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM），但我们已经启动了一项新的倡议，将为康涅狄格州哈特福德和沃特伯里地区的 K-12 教育提供全年 STEM 发展活动，特别是在存在健康差距的人群中。
