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]

Today I want to share with you a story. A story not just of one individual but the story of an entire country's fight for social justice and fairness. This memoir is titled Niskam Karmmayogi which is Nepali for selfless worker.And the man you see on the cover of this memoir is Ratna Prasad Karel my grandfather. There are 195 countries in the world among which there are only seven which have never been colonized. My home country Nepal is one of them.But just because we were never colonized doesn't mean that ...