Documentary Film Review: Black Men in White Coats( continued)
male is more likely to go along with his physician’ s recommendations if the doctor is a Black man.“ If we don’ t have Black male physicians, it means that a lot of Black men aren’ t going to get their flu shots and that could be fatal. A lot of Black men won’ t know what their blood cholesterol is and that could be fatal; and a lot of black men won’ t know their blood sugar level and that could mean more heart attacks.”
Dr. Okorodudu and his brother Dr. Daniel Okorodudu engage in a conversation about the lack of physician role models with the theme being,“ You can’ t be what you can’ t see.” 4.4 % of residents are presently African Americans, two-thirds of them women.
Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, President and Dean of the Morehouse School of Medicine, a valuable presence throughout the film, noted that there are medical schools that do not have any Black male enrollees.“ When that is the case, and we’ re in a learning environment, there’ s going to be different conclusions made about how to care for people if there are not diverse people around the table. That’ s why you need Black men in med school.”
Dr. Antonio Webb was rejected by every medical school to which he applied. Yet he remained steadfast. In the third year of seeking entry, he discovered and enrolled in a post-baccalaureate program that changed his approach to his studies and exam taking. That experience was the key factor in his being admitted and finishing.
In defining an effective formula for success, Duke University and 13-year NBA basketball great Shane Battier was asked by Dale Okorodudu how he balanced sports with the rest of his life. Battier responded,“ Do it all. Be the best athlete. Be the best student. If you want to be great in a lot of areas, it takes discipline. It’ s about being present where you are, giving everything that’ s needed right now.”
The subject of role models – or lack thereof – was seen as an important component by various contributors. Role models must be relatable. Look the part yet come from the urban communities with which young people can readily identify. You can also plant the seed in a six-year-old boy to show him that the opportunity to become a physician is within reach. in space. Having left NASA in 1996, Dr. Harris is now Chief Executive Officer at the National Math and Science Initiative.
Dr. Nate Hughes is another a late career MD. A prolific wide receiver at Alcorn State University, he ran a 4.33 40-yard time, placing him in an elite class of athlete. He had also been a top-level college decathlete in college, winning six individual Southwestern Athletic Conference championships.
Dr. Hughes was an undrafted free agent signed by the Cleveland Browns in 2008. His pro football career took him to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Detroit Lions over a four-year span. He was also a practicing registered nurse during his athletic career. After football, he attended and graduated from medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and performed an anesthesiology residency at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ.
Dr. Carl Allamby started med school in his forties. He was a former auto mechanic and business owner for 25 years. He is now an Emergency Medicine Resident / Physician at Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and an in-demand motivational speaker.
The film is jam-packed with inspiration and can-do examples. The brothers Okorodudu are clearly handson as they attack subject matter. There is the ongoing dialogue in the barber shop where the brothers are dressed in the de rigueur hip-hop attire and talk about the need for more Black male physicians. Just two brothers, who happen to be related, out for a trim and a shave with a lot on their minds.
The film presented a plethora of“ NO EXCUSES” scenarios that the physicians had to overcome along the journey. Dr. Otis Anderson had a friend who was a gang member when the boys were teenagers. When young Otis attempted to gangbang, the brothers in his‘ hood told him to go home and get back to his studies, knowing that his destiny was not the gang life. Ultimately, Dr. Anderson was able to save his homie’ s life because he properly diagnosed a malady that his squeamish colleagues missed because they couldn’ t get past the fact that the banger was“ sleeved” with fierce multi-colored tattoos on both arms. The comprehensive Black Men In White Coats oeuvre, through seminars, mentoring, personal narratives, teaching opportunities, and inspired thinking- is chock full of stories like these.
And the stories of these men’ s journey are as compelling as they are heartwarming. Bernard Harris, MD, previously was an astronaut and the first African American to walk
CDU College of Medicine | PG. 28