Recruiting Diversity Into the Healthcare System Essay

Recruiting Diversity Into the Healthcare System - Essay Example Medicine is more than just surgery and the appropriate prescription. Medicine is the understanding of healing as viewed through the cultural lens of diversity and we need to be pro-active in our search and education of medical students from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds. The diversity of America brings a wide variety of different needs to the healthcare system. African-Americans are prone to Sickle-cell anemia while Arabic and Farsi speaking people are more apt to suffer from Cardio-vascular disease. McBride insists that training that is dedicated to the prevalence of illness among certain ethnic and racial groups, and their genetic pre-disposition, should be a priority in medical training (181). Some cultures may be practicing herbal remedies or have an aversion to surgery. The range of culture based beliefs are endless in respect to our health and healing. While Americans may wish to treat cancer with a targeted treatment of chemo-therapy and surgery, other cultures may view the disease within the context of religion. Medical staff and healthcare workers need to be aware and sensitive to these diversity issues that other cultures bring to our western style healthcare system. M... There may be a language barrier that prevents the adequate communication of a patient's medical needs. The doctor or nurse may not understand the boundaries or necessity of communicating with family members. Even the colors of the room and the placement of the bed may have significance to some people. The meaning of illness may mean simply that we are sick, or may mean that we are possessed by evil spirits. While Americans are often open and frank about their condition, "People in many cultures believe that informing the patient of a terminal diagnosis may hasten death" (Misra-Hebert, 298). No amount of classroom training can communicate and educate our healthcare system with the vast amount of information necessary to effectively deal with the number of possibilities that exist in today's diverse world. The only way to bring this kind of knowledge and awareness into the healthcare system is to recruit diversity and minority students to become a part of our medical arsenal. The medical education system needs to reach out to minority populations and recruit and cultivate their talents for work in the healthcare system. This would need to begin in high school by working with students to assure they are getting the courses and the academics required to enter college. Tutors and mentors should be made available to these students to offer personal as well as academic guidance. The healthcare system needs to reach out across social as well as economic barriers to enlist these students. By beginning at an early age and cultivating our diverse youth for a career in healthcare we can be sure that we will have the talent necessary to meet the medical