An analysis has proven just how crucial the call to action — “We need more Black doctors” — really is.

The phrases “We need more Black doctors ” and “Black doctors matter” are often emphasized, but this viral story exemplifies why.

A sign-on bonus from a job is always a win. However, for one Black Houston doctor, her moment of victory was swiftly taken away due to discriminatory practices. ABC13 reports that Dr. Malika Mitchell-Stewart had recently completed her residency before securing a position at Valley Oaks Medical Group. The Black Houston doctor was subsequently awarded a $16,000 check from her newly acquired position. Dr. Malika Mitchell-Stewart then went to JPMorgan Chase Bank at First Colony Branch in Sugar Land to deposit her new earnings. Unfortunately, her celebration was cut short. According to a lawsuit, staff members at JPMorgan Chase began to ask Dr. Malika Mitchell-Stewart unwarranted questions pertaining to her check and position as a doctor, ABC13 reports. Dr. Stewart describes feeling like a criminal after showing her check. JPMorgan Chase ultimately led with a decision to refuse Dr. Stewart’s service and declared the check fraudulent. Stewart believes she was targeted due to the color of...

Dr. Brian Nwannunu, an adult-reconstruction fellow in orthopedics at Baylor College of Medicine, specializes more than just in the musculoskeletal system; he’s working to diversify the orthopedic surgery industry. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons reported that as of 2018, 84.7 percent of orthopedic surgeons identify as white, 6.7 percent identify as Asian, and 2.2 percent identify as Hispanic or Latino. This lack of diversity intensifies since only 1.9 percent of orthopedic surgeons identify as Black, and less than one percent are Native American. There isn’t just a lack of diversity in the orthopedic industry; there’s a lack of acceptance that Black people can work in this medical field. “A few of my rotations, the general culture, and the underlying message was, ‘We don’t want anyone that doesn’t look like us,'” Nwannunu, who is a first-generation Nigerian American, told the Houston Chronicle in an interview . “They don’t feel like they can relate to you. They would...

Dr. Kanika Bowen-Jallow has made history by becoming the ninth-ever female Black pediatric surgeon in the United States. And while this feat is impressive, it is also further proof of the disparity between Black health and the presence of Black doctors. According to ABC 8 Dallas, Dr. Bowen-Jallow is a Black pediatric surgeon at the Cook Children’s new hospital in Prosper, Texas. Bowen-Jallow, who said she was inspired to become a doctor from the day she got the board game “Operation” as a gift, said that while she was fortunate to come from the background she came from, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted, for her, how few Black doctors there are in the medical field — as well as the disparities between the races in health education. “When I got my COVID vaccine I took a video of it, and I sent it out to my friends and family because I had been getting is it safe? Is it OK? Are you going to take it?” she told the ABC affiliate. “It shouldn’t be that you get to college before you...

By becoming the first African-American woman to earn an MD, Rebecca Lee Crumpler (born Rebecca Davis) paved the way for countless future physicians and medical professionals of color. Though Rebecca Cole was previously credited with this distinction, it was, in fact, Crumpler who earned this honor in 1864 (three years before Cole). Born in Delaware in 1831 , Crumpler’s parents were Absolum Davis and Matilda Weber. However, she was raised by an aunt in Pennsylvania — a woman who cared for neighbors who had fallen ill. It’s believed that the time under her aunt’s care may have influenced her career choice. She moved to Charlestown, Massachusetts in 1852 and worked as a nurse from 21 until 29. She did so without formal training as the first nursing school would not open until 1873. She also married Wyatt Lee, a former slave, shortly after she arrived in Charleston. Her efforts helped her gain acceptance and win a scholarship to the New England Female Medical College in 1860. During...

Black and brown communities have been hit hard with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, ravaging neighborhoods across the country. However, medical professionals are working vigilantly to develop treatments for the illness. According to NBC News , Black scientists from Meharry Medical College have reportedly been developing an antiviral drug for the virus, and hope to test the treatment in the next two weeks. Meharry Medical College — founded in 1876 in Nashville, TN — was originally built to teach enslaved Africans how to practice medicine and assist underserved communities, as reported by NBC News. For years, Meharry has had a hand in producing over 4,800 Black doctors, 83 percent of whom work in Black or underserved communities, NBC News reports. Dr. Armen Henderson, a Meharry alum, has been helping to test the homeless community in Miami, FL — for COVID-19 — since March. The Florida doctor was recently racially profiled in front of his home before going to volunteer, as...