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In light of U.Va. study, improve medical school curricula

Racial biases among medical students suggest a need for more social science education

White healthcare professionals consistently under-prescribe pain medications for black patients, and a recent study conducted at the University by Ph.D. candidate Kelly Hoffman explains why. According to the study, the disparity is attributable to white medical students holding false beliefs about differences in black and white biologies. The research findings demonstrate a need for greater incorporation of the social sciences into medical curricula as a way to develop healthcare professionals who understand the social dimensions of a science that involves so much human interaction.

Given this bias, along with America’s history of mistreating minorities in medical care, it is no surprise that black Americans are less trustful of the healthcare system. An October study from Emory University revealed that, unlike white patients, black patients are more likely to report believing that physicians don’t see them as equals or are less concerned for their wellbeing. An emphasis on a social science education in medical schools would allow for the development of more empathetic physicians, potentially reducing distrust of a healthcare system that is failing black Americans. Beginning a year ago, the Association of American Medical Colleges made changes to the Medical College Admissions Test, or MCAT, emphasizing the importance of concepts physicians should know to relate to diverse groups of patients. Some of the additions to the exam include the introduction of psychology and sociology questions as part of a new Behavioral Sciences section. Understanding the way humans behave as individuals or interact in groups is important for creating effective physician-patient relationships. Social science education should not stop at the undergraduate level. It has a place in medical schools, too, especially just before or while medical students begin interacting with patients.

Promotion of the social sciences in medical schools would not only abstractly enhance the medical student experience by providing a broader educational base — it would have real-world benefits for black patients who are under-treated by physicians or who place less trust in healthcare. It would support a healthcare system where all medical students would graduate with a better understanding of the way individuals and societies function.

This is not the first offense against black Americans in the healthcare system. Pioneers in medical science such as J. Marion Sims used enslaved black women as subjects for surgery experimentation without anesthesia. American hospitals once displayed “No Negroes” signs and performed sterilizations on black women without their consent. The infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment intentionally left hundreds of black men with untreated syphilis while deceiving them into believing they had access to free healthcare. While ethical offenses as egregious as these experiments are part of the past, racial disparities in attitudes toward black and white patients still exist, though more implicitly. If Hoffman repeats her study years from now, we should hope that there are no medical students who actually believe that blacks have less sensitive nerve endings than whites.

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