Achieving Latino Equity in Medicine, Nursing, and Dentistry Education: Accelerating the Path Forward.

Abstract

Health professions are increasingly acknowledging legacies of racial/ethnic prejudice, discrimination, and exclusion. These legacies stem from institutional or sectoral policies, regulations, procedures, and behaviors that create and mutually reinforce disadvantage and inequity for racial and ethnic minorities (systemic racism) (Bailey et al., 2017). Institutions and professions in medicine and health care are actively examining the impact of racial/ethnic inequity in these domains (Hahn et al., 2018; IOM, 2003). A key aspect of such inequities is the historical underrepresentation of some minority groups in health care professions. Underrepresented minorities (URM) include those who identify as African American or Black, American Indian, Alaska Native, Latino or Hispanic, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacifi c Islanders (NIH, n.d.). Such underrepresentation negatively aff ects the quality, education, and cultural competence of the future health care workforce (LaVeist and Pierre, 2014; Phillips and Malone, 2014). It also contributes to the shortage of URM health care professionals, who disproportionately practice in communities with health care professional shortages, care for more patients from their own racial or ethnic group, and consistently receive higher satisfaction ratings and outcomes among underserved communities (LaVeist and Pierre, 2014; Weissman et al., 2001; Komaromy et al., 1996). These defi ciencies in the health care workforce pose a signifi cant threat to addressing health disparities and the health system’s ability to care for the Latino population and other URM individuals, especially given their signifi cant projected growth in the U.S. population (Vespa et al., 2020; The Sullivan Commission, 2016). Remediation eff orts to rectify inequities in representation of URM health professionals should address the experiences and degree of disparity for each group. This manuscript aims to provide greater insight into Latino underrepresentation in medicine, nursing, and dentistry and to describe an approach for accelerating change in Latino underrepresentation in these three professions.