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Programs support diversity in education

by Cindy Abole
Public Relations
Since 1824, the College of Medicine has strived to educate, teach and prepare generations of South Carolina’s most qualified and talented physicians and scientists.
 
Just as the art of medicine has evolved and progressed in the areas of science and discovery, so have the health care needs of America’s growing and diverse society. In response, medical schools across the country have searched for ways to close the gap on health disparities by increasing diversity within medical education and improving the balance of racial and ethnic minorities among physicians and the health care workforce.
 
The College of Medicine supports multiculturalism and establishing a student body that reflects a more diverse patient population that these future physicians will ultimately serve.
    
The goal was a top priority for College of Medicine Dean Jerry Reves, M.D., and Deborah Deas, M.D., co-associate dean for admissions. Since his arrival in 2001, Reves has been supportive to developing an academic medical center focused on interdisciplinary experiences and innovative programs within a collaborative environment that emphasizes interdisciplinary research and clinical care. Reves’ mission for diversity within the college included the establishment of a minority recruitment plan that would increase the number of black and underrepresented students and retention.
 
Underrepresented minorities are individuals of African-American, Native American, Mexican-American and mainland Puerto Rican descent, as defined by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
 
Deas and the college’s Admissions Committee evaluated the school’s admissions process and offered recommendations to improve the attrition rate that focused on timely and effective communications and personalized support. What they learned is that half of all underrepresented students accepted to MUSC’s medical school chose to attend another program.
 
“We’re always looking for dynamic students who meet our standards to enrich our college,” said Deas. “At the same time, we value and understand the issue of diversity and cultural competency within medical education. We consider students from other vantage points such as students from rural communities, individuals who worked previously before applying to med school, or men and women who’ve excelled in the arts and humanities.”
    
As an improvement, Deas established the Student Ambassadors program in fall 2001 to give newly accepted students a face to associate with at MUSC. Ambassadors are current medical students who volunteer to meet and talk to potential students answering questions and sharing experiences. Within a year, the college’s overall attrition rate decreased from 30 percent to 12 percent, and from 50 percent to 9 percent among minority students. 
    
In addition to increasing diversity within medical education and workforce recruitment, Deas also developed a monthly mentoring program, Mentoring Ensures Medical Success or MEMS, to assist minority medical students. Deas is one of three black faculty-mentors who meet regularly with participants to discuss issues, share professional advice and bond.
    
“Retention in medical school is just as essential as attracting the right mix of qualified students,” said Myra Haney, director of Academics and Student Support and also a MEMS mentor. “Sometimes students have a hard time asking for help. We wanted to design and establish an intervention program that is supportive to students from the beginning and throughout their medical education.”
 
“We wanted to find ways to help students learn how to effectively transition into the medical school environment, plus possess subtle bits of information and professional knowledge that would be beneficial to them,” Deas said.
 
Deas is proud that this data not only reflects the results of focused achievements but also a collegial commitment between faculty, staff and students that has never compromised the medical school’s program or standards.
 
With Reves’ support, Deas also formed the College of Medicine Diversity Committee to establish a collegewide diversity plan that would serve as a road map for the 25 departments within the college. In turn, each of the departments were charged with developing their own diversity plans and initiatives. Today, department chairs and residency training directors are more mindful in recruiting faculty and house staff and inviting guest speakers for seminars and educational conferences. Reves will continue to track the progress of diversity throughout the college.
 
“Dr. Reves’ systematic method of evaluating departmental diversity efforts is in part a direct response to the great strides that the college has made in the area of diversity,” said Deas. “The face of MUSC faculty and house staff has noticeably changed. When Dr. Reves joined MUSC, there were only 16 underrepresented minority resident-physicians and fellows. Today, there are 36 underrepresented minority residents and fellows. In 2001, there were only 23 underrepresented minority faculty members. Today, there are 57 underrepresented minority faculty members within the college.”
 
Other initiatives of the Diversity Council includes a new mentoring and education program with Charleston County middle and high schools that support a physician career pipeline program to introduce careers in medicine and admissions guidance to students, especially minority students.
 
The school’s commitment to diversity also is outlined as one of the College of Medicine’s five pillar goals supporting the MUSC Excellence Initiative, a campuswide program aimed at improving patient care and sustaining physicians and staff with the purpose of attaining excellence throughout the workplace.
 
“Dr. Reves has remained impassioned about diversity and cultural awareness throughout most of his career as a clinician and medical educator,” said Ed Cousineau, associate dean for Planning, Implementation and Evaluation. “He’s supportive of a system that promotes best practices using contacts and advocacy that reflects and supports the needs of all South Carolina residents.”

Student gains new knowledge through MEMS Program

Gaining insight into a unique education process while learning to connect the dots is something that first-year College of Medicine student Vandy Gaffney has strived to do since arriving at MUSC’s door last June.
 
Vandy Gaffney
 
The Orangeburg native attributes it to the whole student experience as an MUSC medical student with support from the College of Medicine’s Mentoring Ensures Medical School Success (MEMS) program. Gaffney is among 27 black medical students who meet monthly during lunch with faculty mentors to discuss issues and share insights on study advice, communication with faculty and staff and other ideas specific to student academics and life at MUSC.
 
“Medical school is a learned culture,” Gaffney said. “It’s great to have a genuine on-campus presence of someone like a mentor that you trust who can share their experiences and offer sound advice.”
 
Last year at this time, Gaffney was like thousands of other undergraduates bound for medical school. He carefully reviewed his options, compared and reconsidered programs before arriving at his final decision. A 2006 graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Gaffney interviewed and was admitted to six of seven medical school programs across the country. Ultimately, he chose to remain close to his family in Orangeburg.
 
“MUSC seemed more user-friendly to students,” Gaffney said. “The staff from the dean’s office offered a level of student support and commitment that seemed unmatched. So far, the college has held up to its billing.”
    
A lot of topics discussed by MEMS program participants feature issues that can extend a specific cross-section of students and be shared with all medical students.
    
“We probably won’t find a cure for cancer while attending medical school, but as students, we’ll learn some valuable information that will be useful to us as physicians-in-training as well as to our future patients,” he said.
 
Gaffney is already anxious to share his MEMS experiences with incoming medical students. He also wants to continue with the program next fall as it extends to second-year participants, which is meant to gradually prepare students for their upcoming clinical experiences.


   

Friday, May 4, 2007
Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.