Author Interviews, Education, JAMA, Race/Ethnic Diversity, Yale / 01.08.2023
Alarming Rate of Attrition Among Black MD-PhD Students
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
[caption id="attachment_60696" align="alignleft" width="133"]
Mytien Nguyen[/caption]
Mytien Nguyen, MS
Department of Immunobiology,
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, Connecticut
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Physician-scientists are critical for innovative translational research. Combined MD-PhD training programs are essential for developing physician-scientists. Although racial and ethnic diversity of MD-PhD matriculants has increased over the past decade, little is known about how attrition rates differ by race and ethnicity.
Mytien Nguyen[/caption]
Mytien Nguyen, MS
Department of Immunobiology,
Yale School of Medicine
New Haven, Connecticut
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Physician-scientists are critical for innovative translational research. Combined MD-PhD training programs are essential for developing physician-scientists. Although racial and ethnic diversity of MD-PhD matriculants has increased over the past decade, little is known about how attrition rates differ by race and ethnicity.
Arman A. Shahriar
Medical Student, University of Minnesota Medical School Research
Consultant, HealthPartners Institute
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Laura M. Bogart, PhD
Senior Behavioral Scientist
RAND Corporation
Santa Monica, CA 90407-2138
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Recent media polls continue to show that Black Americans are less likely to intend to get the COVID-19 vaccine than White Americans, and initial state data show a similar racial/ethnic disparity in vaccination rates. Initial uptake of the vaccine has been significantly affected by inequities in vaccine access and supply. In addition to these challenges, other factors contribute to hesitancy around vaccination, including self-perceived risk of infection, trust in the vaccine itself, trust in healthcare systems, healthcare providers, and policymakers who support the vaccine, and trust in the pharmaceutical industry and clinical research. In this study, we conducted a survey of a nationally representative sample of 207 Black Americans in late 2020, after initial COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and safety data were released to the public. We also did in-depth interviews with a subsample of those surveyed who said that they would not get vaccinated. In addition, we engaged with a stakeholder advisory committee comprised of individuals who represent different subgroups and organizations in Black communities in the U.S., in order to discuss the results and make recommendations for policies to increase COVID-19 vaccination among Black Americans.
