With stakeholders from medical schools, private practice, post bac programs, undergraduate institutions, MD-PhD programs, non-profit organizations, and more, the Summit provided an environment for national conversation on current challenges and future solutions to the access pathways for underrepresented students in medical education.
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In what ways did this experience benefit you individually? How might it benefit other pre-health students?
One of my biggest motivations for becoming a doctor is the need for diverse representation in healthcare, not only among minorities, but also among women. I believe this will provide a service to the patient population and medical field as a whole but also serve as an inspiration for other minority students who may doubt their ability to achieve this goal. Though this has always been my motivation, it never felt like a real cause. My participation in the Physician Diversity National Summit allowed me to interact with other like-minded individuals and reinforced my motivation for this cause. Beyond confirmation of my personal goals, there were many benefits to this experience.
- Networking: Since this was the first event of its kind, there were a disproportionate amount of professionals compared to pre-medical student participants. To my advantage, this allowed me to pursue personal interactions with the professionals represented including physicians, pre-medical advisors, medical school admission officers, and post-bac program representatives. They were all excited to see pre-medical students there and were willing to help. I met a lot of people at this event who I've followed up with and continued forming relationships. I have even been able to bring the connects I made to other students here at UVA.
- Advisor Relationships: I traveled to the Summit with two of the UVA Pre-Health Advisors and another undergraduate pre-medical student. The intimacy of the trip and our discussions at the conference allowed us some really meaningful conversation apart from the formal meeting. It allowed for a nice experience outside the formal academic / UVA setting.
- Learning:
- I learned about different communities who need representation and support but are not currently well represented. Specifically, the Native American population.
- I also learned about different programs and organizations. To name a couple, SIU MEDPREP (postbac program) and Artmesis' Society. I probably would not be aware of either of these organizations without attending this conference. Now I will be able to access them throughout my pre-medical journey.
- Any conference that aligns with the goal of diversity in healthcare will be beneficial to any pre-health student. Not only will it build on your professional skills, but you will learn more about yourself and your goals.
- After the Summit, I attended the Annual Medical Education Conference in San Francisco through an organization on grounds called Daniel Hale Williams Pre-Medical Society (DHW). The environment at this conference provided an equally inclusive feeling of support as the Diversity Summit. I even saw several familiar faces. A lot of the physicians in attendance are members of an organization similar to DHW and continue their involvement throughout their professional career. DHW allows for the same feeling of support here at UVA and can also connect students to these types of professional opportunities and networks.
- Diversity is excellence: The idea that excellence is sacrificed or compromised for the sake of diversity arose as a frequent theme of conversation at the Summit. Every time it surfaced, conference attendees refuted it. It is important for minority students to understand their presence enhances the medical field. It is not a flaw. Success is not always in a perfect GPA or MCAT score and shouldn't be since there are many factors that contribute to the characteristics of a great physician. As denoted in the image below, in many cases minority students face additional obstacles and challenges their counterparts may not. Diversity in the medical field will not only help future patients, but it will also improve the collective practice of all healthcare providers.
- Use your resources: Join a pre-medical organization on grounds. Many of the physicians at the Summit spoke of specific organization that helped them and their mentees throughout their career path. These organizations can often offer entrance exam help, shadowing opportunities, conference experiences similar to the Summit I attended, in addition to a community of support. It is great to be surrounded by a group of like-minded people that can support and walk alongside you on your journey. I chose to join DHW here at UVA. You can learn more about it here.
- Do not give up. If a career in medicine is something you really want, you will get there. No one's path is the same and it may take longer than you originally thought, but your experiences and failures will only make you stronger. It's not really about the failures, but how you react to them and use them to strengthen yourself. Ask for help when you need it, look for mentorship and opportunities. Also, always remember to reach back to help others follow in your foot steps. Working together as a team is how we achieve this goal of improving diversity.
