Male Minority Representation in Healthcare Industry
Part I: Review of Current Research
Introduction
Although the United States has always been a nation of immigrants and the lion’s share of its population is comprised of racial and ethnic minorities, disparity is still a notable problem across various sectors (Baldwin, 2003; Henkel, 2016). Moreover, health care is not an exception to this rule. Experts provide convincing evidence that minority male healthcare providers are underrepresented in the industry (Henkel, 2016; Siddiqui, 2012). Siddiqui (2012), for instance, points out that while 1 in 8 Americans is African American, only 1 in 15 doctors is. At the same time, while 1 in 6 Americans identifies as Hispanic or Latino, only 1 in 20 doctors does (Siddique, 2012). The underrepresentation of minority male providers is deemed a serious problem for the healthcare industry that is being deprived of a number of benefits related to diversity. Dr. Samantha Kaplan, an obstetrician gynecologist and Professor at Boston University School of Medicine, stresses that these benefits include the possibility to serve those who need it the most, attainment of affinity, improved cultural understanding and increased prestige of the industry (as cited in Siddique, 2012). Understanding of the benefits of diversity encourages using a strong strategy to resolve the long-brewing problem of disparity. Baldwin (2003) argues that development of this strategy should begin with understanding of the factors shaping discrimination in healthcare sector. The reasons underlying the existing disparity and the factors preconditioning underrepresentation of minority male providers are analysed further in this literature review.
Literature Review
The roots of minority male providers’ underrepresentation in healthcare sector can be traced in high and medical school. The validity of this assumption is confirmed in the article Black Men Increasingly Hard to Find in Medical Schools. The statistics cited in the article convincingly demonstrates that African-American and Hispanic males are less likely to earn high school diploma and apply for medical school. Indeed, nationally only 52% of African-American males and 58% of Hispanic males earn high degree (Black Men Increasingly Hard to Find in Medical Schools, 2013). The cited figures are lower when compared to 78% of non-Hispanic whites who earn high school diploma (Black Men Increasingly Hard to Find in Medical Schools, 2013). The outlined disparity becomes further noticeable in medical schools. The statistics presented in the article points out that only 2.5% of medical school applicants are black men (Black Men Increasingly Hard to Find in Medical Schools, 2013). Noteworthy, Asian and Hispanic males constitute 9% and 11% of medical school applicants, respectively (Black Men Increasingly Hard to Find in Medical Schools, 2013). However, this number is still insufficient to claim the diversity of the national healthcare sector.
The attempt to explain why male minorities show little interest in making a career in healthcare industry was made by Zayas and McGuigan (2006). In their study, Zayas and McGuigan (2006) conducted seven (N=51) focus groups in one rural and two minority urban communities in New York …
