The dynamics of poverty, educational attainment, and the children of the disadvantaged entering medical school
Aaron D Baugh,1 Allison A Vanderbilt,2 Reginald F Baugh31Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; 2Emergency Medicine, Fulton County Health Center, Wauseon, OH, USA; 3Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and L...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Dove Medical Press
2019-08-01
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| Series: | Advances in Medical Education and Practice |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.dovepress.com/the-dynamics-of-poverty-educational-attainment-and-the-children-of-the-peer-reviewed-article-AMEP |
| _version_ | 1818082337528741888 |
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| author | Baugh AD Vanderbilt AA Baugh RF |
| author_facet | Baugh AD Vanderbilt AA Baugh RF |
| author_sort | Baugh AD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Aaron D Baugh,1 Allison A Vanderbilt,2 Reginald F Baugh31Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; 2Emergency Medicine, Fulton County Health Center, Wauseon, OH, USA; 3Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USACorrespondence: Reginald F BaughDepartment of Surgery, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, 2120 Dowling Hall MS 1905, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH 43623, USATel +1 419 383 6834Email reginald.baugh@utoledo.eduAbstract: Approximately one-third of the US population lives at or near the poverty line; however, this group makes up less than 7% of the incoming medical students. In the United Kingdom, the ratio of those of the highest social stratum is 30 times greater than those of the lowest to receive admission to medical school. In an effort to address health disparities and improve patient care, the authors argue that significant barriers must be overcome for the children of the disadvantaged to gain admission to medical school. Poverty is intergenerational and multidimensional. Familial wealth affects opportunities and educational attainment, starting when children are young and compounding as they get older. In addition, structural and other barriers exist to these students pursuing higher education, such as the realities of financial aid and the shadow of debt. Yet the medical education community can take steps to better support the children of the disadvantaged throughout their education, so they are able to reach medical school. If educators value the viewpoints and life experiences of diverse students enriching the learning environment, they must acknowledge the unique contributions that the children of the disadvantaged bring and work to increase their representation in medical schools and the physician workforce. We describe who the disadvantaged are contrasted with the metrics used by medical school admissions to identify them. The consequences of multiple facets of poverty on educational attainment are explored, including its interaction with other social identities, inter-generational impacts, and the importance of wealth versus annual income. Structural barriers to admission are reviewed. Given the multi-dimensional and cumulative nature of poverty, we conclude that absent significant and sustained intervention, medical school applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds will remain few and workforce issues affecting the care patients receive will not be resolved. The role of physicians and medical schools and advocating for necessary societal changes to alleviate this dynamic are highlighted.Keywords: lower socioeconomic populations, medical school admissions, health disparities, diversity and inclusion, social justice
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| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T19:20:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1b631c76a5fa4473b36653a60037b831 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1179-7258 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T19:20:30Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Medical Education and Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-1b631c76a5fa4473b36653a60037b8312022-12-22T01:36:29ZengDove Medical PressAdvances in Medical Education and Practice1179-72582019-08-01Volume 1066767648018The dynamics of poverty, educational attainment, and the children of the disadvantaged entering medical schoolBaugh ADVanderbilt AABaugh RFAaron D Baugh,1 Allison A Vanderbilt,2 Reginald F Baugh31Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; 2Emergency Medicine, Fulton County Health Center, Wauseon, OH, USA; 3Department of Surgery, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USACorrespondence: Reginald F BaughDepartment of Surgery, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, 2120 Dowling Hall MS 1905, 3000 Arlington Avenue, Toledo, OH 43623, USATel +1 419 383 6834Email reginald.baugh@utoledo.eduAbstract: Approximately one-third of the US population lives at or near the poverty line; however, this group makes up less than 7% of the incoming medical students. In the United Kingdom, the ratio of those of the highest social stratum is 30 times greater than those of the lowest to receive admission to medical school. In an effort to address health disparities and improve patient care, the authors argue that significant barriers must be overcome for the children of the disadvantaged to gain admission to medical school. Poverty is intergenerational and multidimensional. Familial wealth affects opportunities and educational attainment, starting when children are young and compounding as they get older. In addition, structural and other barriers exist to these students pursuing higher education, such as the realities of financial aid and the shadow of debt. Yet the medical education community can take steps to better support the children of the disadvantaged throughout their education, so they are able to reach medical school. If educators value the viewpoints and life experiences of diverse students enriching the learning environment, they must acknowledge the unique contributions that the children of the disadvantaged bring and work to increase their representation in medical schools and the physician workforce. We describe who the disadvantaged are contrasted with the metrics used by medical school admissions to identify them. The consequences of multiple facets of poverty on educational attainment are explored, including its interaction with other social identities, inter-generational impacts, and the importance of wealth versus annual income. Structural barriers to admission are reviewed. Given the multi-dimensional and cumulative nature of poverty, we conclude that absent significant and sustained intervention, medical school applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds will remain few and workforce issues affecting the care patients receive will not be resolved. The role of physicians and medical schools and advocating for necessary societal changes to alleviate this dynamic are highlighted.Keywords: lower socioeconomic populations, medical school admissions, health disparities, diversity and inclusion, social justice https://www.dovepress.com/the-dynamics-of-poverty-educational-attainment-and-the-children-of-the-peer-reviewed-article-AMEPlower socioeconomic populationsmedical school admissionshealth disparitiesdiversity and inclusionsocial justice |
| spellingShingle | Baugh AD Vanderbilt AA Baugh RF The dynamics of poverty, educational attainment, and the children of the disadvantaged entering medical school Advances in Medical Education and Practice lower socioeconomic populations medical school admissions health disparities diversity and inclusion social justice |
| title | The dynamics of poverty, educational attainment, and the children of the disadvantaged entering medical school |
| title_full | The dynamics of poverty, educational attainment, and the children of the disadvantaged entering medical school |
| title_fullStr | The dynamics of poverty, educational attainment, and the children of the disadvantaged entering medical school |
| title_full_unstemmed | The dynamics of poverty, educational attainment, and the children of the disadvantaged entering medical school |
| title_short | The dynamics of poverty, educational attainment, and the children of the disadvantaged entering medical school |
| title_sort | dynamics of poverty educational attainment and the children of the disadvantaged entering medical school |
| topic | lower socioeconomic populations medical school admissions health disparities diversity and inclusion social justice |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/the-dynamics-of-poverty-educational-attainment-and-the-children-of-the-peer-reviewed-article-AMEP |
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