Resolution: S-20-7: RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF NATIVE AMERICANS IN MEDICINE

[Valerie Lile]

1  WHEREAS, there are approximately 5.2 million American Indian/Alaska Native (AI-AN) people in
2  the United States, including those of more than one race; 1.7% of the population¹; and

3  WHEREAS, there are currently 95 (0.3%) students of AI-AN ethnicity enrolled in osteopathic medical
4  schools and 3,400 (0.4%) AI-AN physicians practicing in the United States²; and

5  WHEREAS, the AI-AN population has an average life expectancy that is 5.5 years less than that of the
6  United States population, and has higher mortality rates in many categories, including: heart disease,
7  malignant neoplasm, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, unintentional injuries,
8  assault/homicide, intentional self-harm/suicide, and chronic lower respiratory diseases³; and

9  WHEREAS, research indicates that physician-patient racial and ethnic concordance leads to patients
10  perceiving a higher quality of care, increased use of care, and higher satisfactory rating of care⁴; and

11  WHEREAS, AI-AN physicians are more likely to practice in Native communities⁵; and

12  WHEREAS, there have been instances of medical schools succeeding in enrolling higher average
13  numbers of AI-AN students by integrating social and cultural aspects into their institutions and
14  engaging the tribal nations and communities by setting up educational pathway programs in these
15  areas⁶; and

16  WHEREAS, the Association of Native American Medical Students (ANAMS) is a student organization
17  representing Native American graduate health professional students that supports and provides a
18  resource network with the goal of increasing the number of Native American students in medicine and
19  the successful completion of their graduate health professions curricula⁷; and

20  WHEREAS, the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) has made it a priority to recruit
21  underrepresented minorities in medicine through the National Outreach for Diversity (NOD)
22  programming and through advocating for the improvement of accreditation standards on diversity at
23  Osteopathic medical schools outlined in Policy S-19-23⁸; and

24  WHEREAS, existing American Osteopathic Association policy H433-A/15 (Minority Health
25  Disparities) states for action to be taken for the development of strategies to actively recruit
26  underrepresented minority physicians into the profession in both primary care and subspecialties9; now,
27  therefore, be it

28  RESOLVED, that the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA) work with stakeholders
29  including the Association of Native American Medical Students (ANAMS) to support tribal
30  governments and non-profit organizations in the recruitment and retention of Native Americans in
31  medicine and the allied health professions; and, be it further

1  RESOLVED, that the American Osteopathic Association will work with various stakeholders
2  (including SOMA and ANAMS) to establish and support pathway programs and best practices to
3  increase the number of Native Americans in medicine and the allied professions.

Relevant Existing Policies:
SOMA Policy:
S-19-23 Advocating for the Improvement of Accreditation Standards on Diversity at Osteopathic Medical Schools
Policy of Other Organizations Named in the Resolved Statements (AOA/AMA/etc):
AOA H433-A/15: MINORITY HEALTH DISPARITIES

References

1. The American Indian and Alaska Native Population: 2010 Census Briefs. (2012). United States Census Bureau, 2010. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/history/pdf/c2010br-10-112019.pdf
2. Study of Declining Native American Medical Student Enrollment. (2018). AMA Council on Medical Education Report.
3. Indian Health Disparities from 2009-2011. (2019). Indian Health Service. Retrieved from https://www.ihs.gov/sites/newsroom/themes/responsive2017/display_objects/documents/factsheets/Disparities.pdf
4. Saha, S., Komaromy, M., Koepsell, T. and Bindman, A. (1999). Patient-Physician Racial Concordance and the Perceived Quality and Use of Health Care. Archives of Internal Medicine , [online] 159(9), p.997. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10326942
5. Analyzing Physician Workforce Racial and Ethnic Composition Associations: Physician Specialties. (2014). Association of American Medical Colleges. Retrieved from https://www.aamc.org/system/files/d/1/444068-aibphysicianworkforce.pdf
6. Reshaping the Journey. (2018). Association of American Medical Colleges. Retrieved from https://store.aamc.org/downloadable/download/sample/sample_id/243/
7. Association of Native American Medical Students. (2020). Retrieved from http://www.anamstudents.org
8. SOMA Resolution S-19-23 http://policysearch.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/S-19-23.pdf
9. MINORITY HEALTH DISPARITIES. (2015). American Osteopathic Association, H433- A/15. Retrieved from http://policysearch.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/H433-A2015-MINORITY-HEALTH-DISPARITIES.pdf

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Submitted by:
Mayra Valdivia Carlisle, OMS-IV- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
Taran Valdivia Carlisle, OMS-IV- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
Christian von Gizycki, OMS-IV- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine- Bradenton Campus Matthew Mayeda, OMS-III- Michigan State University- College of Osteopathic Medicine
Alec Calac, MS-II, UC San Diego School of Medicine, Pauma Band of Luiseño Indians

Action Taken: [Leave Blank. Will be Approved by the House of Delegates or NotApproved.]
Date: [Leave Blank. Date submitted to National Vice President and the National Office.]
Effective Time Period: Ongoing

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