We are approaching another season of transition for college students considering medical school, medical students searching for residency programs, and residents truly getting their feet wet at job opportunities or having fellowship applications approved. IT IS INTERVIEW SEASON!!!

The data for Mississippi reveals 5,867 active physicians and just 2,007 primary care physicians providing direct patient care.  The state is 50^th in physician-to-population ratio. At the same time, Mississippi ranks fourth in the nation in its percentage of medical students matriculating in-state.  Keeping the brightest and best students in-state, while spreading the expert care to all areas, is a monumental task. Having a knowledgeable, discerning interviewing team is vital to successfully accomplishing this goal. The need for underrepresented minorities as healthcare providers continues to be a concern in our state. We have some data that shows patients communicate best with people of similar backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures¹. As recruitment season begins, we must consider this as we choose future physicians, residents, and fellows.

As the date for our annual golf tournament draws near, we all can acknowledge that participation requires fees to be paid and the use of necessary tools. In the past, I have supplied the fee for house officers unable to contribute monetarily. I consider doing so as an act of providing a scholarship/grant for my team. Not all are equally equipped to handle the costs involved. To participate, a set of clubs to play is a basic requirement – analogous to books and computers in college.  The proper attire is required on any golf course – one cannot play in flipflops and Daisy Dukes shorts.  Naturally, you must know the game and develop a little athleticism to hit the ball at least in the fairway and toward the flag. Now, here is where equity comes in during the golf game: there is the professional tee, the general mens’ tee, the womens’ tee and the senior tee.  Women and seniors are allowed yardage to discount the advantage of their much younger male opponents that have the “upper hand” in strength. This scenario is similar to what happens in the arena of education. Some applicants may need funding. Some may require tutoring, and many require much encouragement. It’s not unusual to see participants who come from small country towns or large urban cities with lower than average test scores. 

The love of the game keeps us on course to hit the ball and make it to the flag. There’s no cookie-cutter pattern for becoming a doctor. The fervent desire to be competent, committed medical professionals keeps students focused on the degree, the residency, fellowship, and/or job. We all play a role in helping trainees become well-educated physicians with hearts of passion and compassion for serving their communities.  A healthier Mississippi is an admirable goal. We cannot exclude anyone in making that happen. Our efforts must acknowledge and embrace diversity, while focusing on serving all communities equally to the best of our abilities. In doing so, we can forecast healthier Mississippians and, in turn, happier people committed to playing a part in making their communities better for the good of all. 

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Dr. Myrna Alexander Nickens is a Professor of Cardiology and the Vice Chair for Diversity and Inclusion for the Department of Medicine.

1. Takeshita J, Wang S, Loren AW, et al. Association of racial/ethnic and gender concordance between patients and physicians with patient experience ratings. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(11):e2024583. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.24583    
   
    Anderson SR, Gianola M, Perry JM, Losin EAR. Clinician–patient racial/ethnic concordance influences racial/ethnic minority pain: evidence from simulated clinical interactions. Pain Medicine. pnaa258. doi:10.1093/pm/pnaa258
        
   Meghani SH, Brooks JM, Gipson-Jones T, Waite R, Whitfield-Harris L, Deatrick JA. Patient-provider race-concordance: does it matter in improving minority patients’ health outcomes? Ethn Health. 2009;14(1):107-130. doi:10.1080/13557850802227031 ↩︎