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5DECEMBER2014BODYOFCHRISTNEWSAndthineearsshallhearawordbehindtheesayingThisisthewaywalkyeinitwhenyeturntotherighthandandwhenyeturntotheleftIsaiah3021Oneofmymoreenduringmemoriesofchildhoodisthefactthatfromayoungage-infactwhenIwasanelementaryschoolstudent-myfatherwouldtellmeonedayIwasgoingtobeadoctor.AtthattimeIpaidlittleattentiontowhathewassaying.Iwasmoreinterestedinplayingbasketballandfootballwithmyfriends.Ihadnoideathatonedaytheideaofbecom-ingdoctorwouldbecameaconsumingpassion.Icametobelievethatbecom-ingadoctorwasGodswillformylife.Iwasayoungcollegestudentandhadjustgottenmarried.OnedaywhenIwasconsideringwhatIshoulddowithmylifeIsud-denlyhadastrongurgeorimpressionthatIshouldbecomeadoctor.ThatmeantIwasgoingtohavetobecomeasciencemajorincollege.Thatseemedlikeadauntingchallenge.ItwasevenmoreofachallengeasIhadawifeandayoungdaughter.HoweverIquicklybecamesoobsessedthatnoteventhemostdifficultclassesIhadtotakeweregoingtostopmebyGodsgrace.Imajoredinbiologyandhadaminorinchemistryincollege.Ilearnedtodividemytimebetweenprayerandstudy.ThenextthingIknewisthatIgotacceptedtomedicalschoolatLomaLindaUniversityinCalifornia.AfterthatIsurvivedagruelingresidencytraininginInternalMedicinehereinDenveratSaintJosephHospital.Lookingbackretrospectivelythethingthatisthemoststrikingaboutmycol-legemedicalschoolandpost-graduatetrainingisthepaucityofBlacksinallofthis.Iconsiderthiswithsomedis-mayandIamnotbymyselfinfeelingthisway.IhavereadarticlesthatspeakwithasenseofconcernabouthowfewAfricanAmericansareengagedinthepracticeofmedicine.OnestrikingfactwemustconsideristhatAfricanAmericansaremuchunderrepre-sentedinmedicine.Whileweareabout13oftheU.S.populationonlyabout4ofdoctorsareBlack.Thatnum-berofdoctorshasbeenaboutthesameproportionformanydecadesandactuallymaygetworse.WhyisthisimportantItisbecausemoreBlackdoctorscanhaveamajorimpactonthehealthoftheBlackcommunity.Ithasbeenobservedthatunderrepre-sentedminoritiesaremorelikelytogobacktoservetheircommunities.ThismeansthatpeopleintheBlackcom-munitywhomaynothaveinsuranceproblemswithtransportationorjustfindingadoctorwholookslikethemcanfindsomeonetheycanhavearap-portwith.YouwouldbeshockedatwhatyouwouldfindifyouweretotakeatourofAmericaandobservethehealthproblemsintheBlackcommunity.Visitlargeinnercitycommunitiesandevenplacesintheruralsouthofthecountry.Youmightseetoomanypeopledyingwithandsufferingfrompreventableillnessesorsufferingfrommanageablehealthproblemsevenatayoungage.Thinkofconditionslikehypertensionobesityanddiabetes.Theseareconditionsthatcancreateatideofpreventabledeathdisabilityandpreventablesuffering.Yetthesethreeconditionsaremanageable.Withpropereducationandcaringonecanteachpeopleaboutlivinglongerandbetter.MoreBlackdoctorsservingcanbeablessingtotheircommuni-ties.Wecantellpeopleevenoflimitedmeanshowtoavoidastrokeheartattackandevencancer.YoujustneedtobeonthescenetodoitItissomewhatmystifyingtomewhenIconsiderthefightagainstaffir-mativeactionandtheworkofpro-gramstoincreaseminorityenrollmentinmedicalschools.Thecomplaintisthatweneedtostopconsideringracewhentryingtomakeupastudentbody.Justrememberthefactthatwearetalkingaboutasmallnumberofminoritiesandthatnumberhasalwaysbeensmall.WhyfightagainstthenotionofdiversityandhavingprofessionsandstudentbodiesthatmoreadequatelyreflectoursocietyAsthingsstanditseemsthatsomewanttokeepthenumberssmallandnotgiveanunfairadvantage.Anabsurdnotionconsideringthatmostmedi-calschoolclasseshavepitifullysmallnumberofminoritystudents.Weneedtostartinelementaryschoolmiddleschoolandhighschooltoteachouryoungpeopletoexcelinchallengingcourseslikemathandsci-ence.Weneedtotellouryoungpeoplehowtobesuccessfulinallfieldsofstudy.InotherwordsifwewanttoseemoreAfricanAmericandoctorsstartwiththeyoungestamongus.SomeoneneedstotelltheseyoungpeoplelikemyfathersaidtomeOnedayyouaregoingtobeadoctorManypeoplecanbenefitfromsuchacourseofaction.Doctorscangivebacktotheircom-munitiesandeventhefewwehavecanmakeadifference.Wecanteachouryoungpeoplethatbeingadoctormakesyouaservanttoyourpatientsandyourcommunity.WecanalsogiveaspiritualimpetustorecruitingthosewhowillacceptthechallengeofusingtheireducationandtrainingwithGodshelp.MayGodblessusasweattempttomoveforwardtodowhatwecanasacommunitytoincreasethenumberofBlackdoctors.Theyareinfacturgentlyneeded.BlackDoctorsNeededDr.ConnerByByronE.ConnerM.D.HEALTH