The University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine is one of 12 institutions to partner with Harvard University to conduct a four-year study to determine factors that influence the medical careers of women of color.
The study will help researchers understand how individuals and academic institutions, such as UNMC, contribute to the advancement of women of color as members of medical school faculties. The study also will examine how social and cultural elements play a role in a woman’s professional and academic progress.
Funded by a grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, the study will include participants from black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native and Asian American backgrounds.
Myrna Newland, M.D., director of UNMC’s equity office and professor of anesthesiology, and Phyllis Nsiah-Kumi, M.D., assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics, will be co-liaisons for the study. UNMC. Rubens Pamies, M.D., vice chancellor for academic affairs, will serve as a member of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute grant advisory committee.
"The first component of the study will be to analyze the demographics and institutional policies in place for each organization," Dr. Nsiah-Kumi said. "This will give participating organizations the opportunity to see how they compare with other institutions around the country."
Researchers hope that by analyzing specific challenges and opportunities facing women of color, institutions will be able to make more informed decisions regarding program design and faculty development.
"Often in studies, all women, regardless of ethnicity, are categorized as one minority group," Dr. Pamies said. "This research will contribute significantly to what we understand about the unique variables facing women of color specifically."
Data will be collected from institutional assessments and faculty assessments composed of interviews and a Web-based survey scheduled to begin development and distribution in January 2011.
"It’s important that we cultivate a cadre of diverse women of color in academics," Dr. Nsiah-Kumi said. "Doing so not only benefits the students, but also the surrounding community."
As the state’s only academic health science center, UNMC is on the leading edge of health care. Breakthroughs are possible because hard-working researchers, educators and clinicians are resolved to work together to fuel discovery. In 2009, UNMC’s extramural research support topped $100 million for the first time, resulting in the creation of 3,600 jobs in Nebraska. UNMC’s academic excellence is shown through its award-winning programs, and its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through its commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading health care centers. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 550 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.
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