Jordan J. Juarez, MS2
Lewis Katz School of Medicine
Temple University
As I reflect on these past one and half years of medical school, I cannot help but feel in awe. I’m in awe of the sheer amount of information that my peers and I have worked diligently to acquire. I’m in awe of the countless medical school faculty who have inspired and supported us on this life-long journey. Most importantly, I’m in awe that soon, my peers and I will be the ones who share the incredible privilege of putting on our white coats to care for patients. However, given all that has transpired over the past year, namely the implications of the pandemic and ongoing societal injustices for Black and Brown communities, medical school trainees, particularly underrepresented in medicine (URM) students, may begin to lose their optimistic view about the field of medicine and its potential for positively impacting society (1).
Born and raised in Southern California and now attending medical school in the Northeast, it is difficult to see the same ominous paradigms from coast to coast. In my hometown of San Diego, California, patients identifying as Hispanic or Latinx have accounted for the most COVID-19 deaths (2). In my new home of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, patients identifying as African American have accounted for the most COVID-19 deaths(3). With these sobering statistics, coupled with the tremendous health inequities preventing minorities communities from not only being properly represented in medicine but also accessing adequate healthcare, how can URM medical students address such significant challenges afflicting our neighborhoods? The answer, in my view, is to remember the oath we made to the communities from which we came from – an oath we took to one day return and serve.
A few weeks ago, my class read portions from Black Man in a White Coat: A Doctor's Reflections on Race and Medicine, a 2015 book written by Duke Psychiatrist, Dr. Damon Scott Tweedy (4). In an excerpt titled Charity Care, Dr. Tweedy recounts his experience as a medical student at Duke caring for a predominantly Black rural community outside of Durham, North
Carolina. In observing the many health challenges facing this underserved community, his appreciation for the role that he served as an inspiration to his patients by way of being a Black medical trainee was a reminder to me of why I came to medical school – to similarly serve as an advocate for my Latinx community.
Up until recently, I would often volunteer as an interpreter at Puentes de Salud, a Philly based healthcare clinic that cares for a predominantly Latinx immigrant patient population, including a significant Mexican patient population (5). Through this outlet, I was able to appreciate the awesome responsibility of what it felt like to care for my community. Too often, our patients initially presented in a shy and guarded manner, however as soon as I would begin speaking in Spanish, a sense of relief would quickly surface on their faces. From time to time, I would even catch a smile as we conversed about our family ties to Mexico. Most gratifying, however, were the moments when I would encounter pediatric patients who would share with me that they too wanted to become physicians.
Very soon, I will be crossing North Broad Street to care for our diverse North Philadelphia community at Temple University Hospital, a rite of passage that Temple medical students have had the privilege of doing for over a century. And while I know there will inevitably be tough times ahead, I’m confident that the inspiration instilled from the diverse community from which I come from will help propel me through those long days and nights in the hospital.
References
1. Evans, M. K. (2020). Health Equity - Are We Finally on the Edge of a New Frontier?. New England Journal of Medicine, 383(11), 997-999.
2. County of San Diego - Health and Human Services Agency. COVID-19 Watch - Weekly Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Surveillance Report. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/dam/sdc/hhsa/programs/phs/Epidemiology/COVID 19%20Watch.pdf
3. City of Philadelphia. City of Philadelphia COVID-19 Overview. Accessed March 2, 2021. https://www.phila.gov/programs/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19/testing-and-data/#/overview
4. Tweedy, D. Black man in a white coat: A doctor's reflections on race and medicine. Picador, 2015.
5. Jablow, P. For Latinos in South Philly, clinic is a bridge to health and much more. The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2016. Accessed March 2, 2021.
https://www.inquirer.com/philly/health/For-Latinos-in-South-Philly-clinic-is-a-bridge-to-health and-much-more.html