Changing Medical Education Helps us Achieve Health Equity | Dr. Pedro "Joe" Greer, Jr., MD | TEDxSTU

Health Equity & Disparities - The US ranks 38th globally in health outcomes out of 196 countries [6] - The US has the highest rates of infant mortality, low birth weight, and maternal mortality, ranking 55th globally in maternal mortality with almost 33 deaths per 100,000 [7] - Maternal mortality rates are 3-9 times higher for African-Americans and 19 times higher for Native Americans [8] - Mortality rates for white non-Hispanics in the US have increased, primarily due to suicide, poisoning/overdose with opioids, and alcoholic liver disease [12] Social Determinants of Health - Health is significantly affected by poverty, discrimination, powerlessness, housing affordability, mental health, and the opioid crisis [4] - Policies such as seat belts, education, transportation, housing, and living wages impact health [6][31] - Lack of prenatal care is a significant issue, with approximately 30% of American counties lacking such care [11] Medical Education & Systemic Issues - Academic medicine is described as a highly toxic environment needing cultural change from the top down [18][19] - Medical education needs to change its culture, admissions processes, and curricula to address health equity [16] - There is a lack of empathy from physicians, with only 20% of patient visits reflecting empathy [20] - Significant disparities exist in medical education, with only 8% of American medical students being African-American and low representation in faculty and clinical chairs [24] - Women in medicine earn an average of $2 million less than men with the same specialty over their careers [27] Proposed Solutions & Initiatives - Implementing community-based programs before medical students begin their studies to build trust and address social determinants of health [21] - Supporting free education to improve economic outcomes and overall well-being [15] - Changing pre-med requirements and focusing on character and virtues like humility and empathy [24][29][30] - Embedding students in the community to understand the plight of underserved populations [28]