J Natl Med Assoc
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Review
A systematic review of barriers to pursuing careers in medicine among Black premedical students.
Among the various etiologies of the exclusion of Black male physicians from the healthcare workforce, it is critical to identify and examine the barriers in their trajectory. Given that most medical school matriculants graduate and pursue residency training, medical school admission has been identified as the primary impediment to a career in medicine. Thus, this work aims to identify barriers in the journey of primarily Black, and secondarily underrepresented minority, premedical students. ⋯ There is a dearth of studies exploring the premedical stage-the penultimate point of entry into medicine. Though interest in becoming a physician may be present, multiple and disparate impediments restrict Black men's participation in medicine. Addressing the barriers Black and underrepresented minority premedical students face requires an awareness of how multiple systems work together to discriminate and restrict access to careers in medicine beyond the traditional pipeline understanding.
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Review
A systematic review of barriers to pursuing careers in medicine among Black premedical students.
Among the various etiologies of the exclusion of Black male physicians from the healthcare workforce, it is critical to identify and examine the barriers in their trajectory. Given that most medical school matriculants graduate and pursue residency training, medical school admission has been identified as the primary impediment to a career in medicine. Thus, this work aims to identify barriers in the journey of primarily Black, and secondarily underrepresented minority, premedical students. ⋯ There is a dearth of studies exploring the premedical stage-the penultimate point of entry into medicine. Though interest in becoming a physician may be present, multiple and disparate impediments restrict Black men's participation in medicine. Addressing the barriers Black and underrepresented minority premedical students face requires an awareness of how multiple systems work together to discriminate and restrict access to careers in medicine beyond the traditional pipeline understanding.
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Review Case Reports
Acute sickle cell hepatopathy: A case report and literature review.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an inherited hemoglobinopathy with protean clinical manifestations. The liver could be affected by various SCD-associated complications of an overlapping nature. ⋯ Herein we report an SCD patient who presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain and jaundice, eventually diagnosed as a self-limited form of acute sickle cell hepatopathy with overlapping features of acute hepatic crisis and benign intrahepatic cholestasis. Using this patient as an illustration, we will review the spectrum of hepatobiliary presentations in the SCD population.
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The transition to older adulthood is generally marked by progressive declines in body composition, metabolism, cognitive function, and immunity. For socially disadvantaged geriatric populations such as Black Americans, this life stage may also include additional stressors, including dealing with discrimination, poor access to healthcare, and food insecurity. These types of chronic stressors are linked to a higher allostatic load, which is associated with accelerated biological aging, higher rates of adverse health outcomes, and an overall lower quality of life. ⋯ The evidence on dairy intake and neurocognitive and immune outcomes among older adults holds significant promise for potential benefits, but most of these results are sourced from individual studies or narrative reviews and are not currently corroborated in systematic reviews or meta-analyses. Additionally, most of the research on dairy intake and age-related disease risk has been performed in White populations and can only be extrapolated to Black populations. Nonetheless, older Black populations who do not meet the DGA recommended 3 servings of dairy per day due to lactose intolerance, restrictive dietary patterns, or for other reasons, are likely falling short of several of the nutritional requirements necessary to support healthy aging.
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Pregnancy and lactation are special life stages that require regular nutritional and medical attention to help protect the health of the mother and promote the growth and development of the offspring. Despite an increased focus on maternal and fetal health over the last several decades, the rates of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality are increasing in the United States (US). On average, Black women who are pregnant or lactating face greater health disparities and birth complications than other racial/ethnic groups in the US. ⋯ However, the vast majority of Black women in the US are falling short of these recommendations and are not meeting nutrient requirements for calcium and vitamin D. Therefore, strategies that target misconceptions surrounding lactose intolerance and focus on the health value of adequate dairy intake among Black women of child-bearing age may benefit both prenatal and postpartum health. This review presents the current evidence on health disparities faced by pregnant and lactating Black women in the US, and the role of dairy foods in supporting healthy pregnancy, fetal development, and lactation outcomes in this population.