December 01, 2005
Hispanics are a growing part of the U.S. population and should
be encouraged to become college educated, seek advanced degrees and
consider a career in the sciences, says Elizabeth Lee-Rey, M.D.,
M.P.H., assistant professor of family and social medicine at Albert
Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and co-director
of the Hispanic Center of Excellence at the Medical School.
Addressing St. John’s College of
Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions faculty, Dr. Lee-Rey
says that Hispanics should be better represented in the fields of
science, including medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy and
nursing.
“One in eight Americans is Hispanic and by 2050, Hispanics will
be 25 percent of the U.S. population,” she says. “The U.S. will be
the second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world after
Mexico.” The problem, she explains, is that Hispanics are
under-represented in the ranks of college graduates, and especially
in the sciences, which hurts them economically. There’s also a
disparity in the quality of health care they receive compared with
other minorities and Caucasians, she states.
All Students Benefit from
Diversity
“Diversity in higher education and in health-professional training
settings is associated with better educational outcomes among all
students,” says Dr. Lee-Rey, who works at Albert Einstein College
of Medicine in the Bronx to encourage more Hispanics to go into
medicine and the sciences. “We’ve reached out to the community and
involved parents so that they understand what’s required of
students in our programs,” she says. “This knowledge encourages
them to be supportive.”
At St. John’s University, 12.3 percent of all graduate and
undergraduate students classify themselves as Hispanic. In the
sciences, 10.5 percent of currently enrolled students identify
themselves as Hispanic while in the School of Pharmacy, 4.2 percent
of students say they are Hispanic.
“The university continues to make a commitment to serving
minorities,” says College of Pharmacy Dean Robert
Mangione in comments following the program.
Dr. Lee-Ray is living proof of how higher education can make a
difference in one’s life. Born to a Chinese father and a
12-year-old Puerto Rican mother, she went on to become a physician
and, most recently, added a master’s in public health from Columbia
University to her credentials. She is the co-director of the first
Hispanic Center of Excellence in New York State and was also a
National Hispanic Medical Association Leadership Fellow. In
addition to teaching and practicing as a physician, she is
dedicated to encouraging Hispanics to enroll in medical and
scientific programs.
Hispanics Have a Harder Time Getting a
College Degree
Faced with economic and family problems, Hispanics have a harder
time than most of the population in getting a college degree and
qualifying for advanced educational opportunities, she says. “Only
12 percent of the working-age (25- to 64-year-old) Hispanic
population in the U.S. has college degrees,” she says. “Only 6
percent of the physicians produced by U.S. medical schools are
Hispanic, only 5 percent of dentists are Hispanic, and Hispanics
are only 3.2 percent of nurses and 2.9 percent of pharmacists.”
They also face greater health problems compared with most other
ethnic groups, she says. “They’re almost twice as likely as the
general population to have diabetes, and AIDS is the leading cause
of death among Hispanics up to 49 years of age in New York City.
Three-quarters of Latino babies in New York City are born into
poverty.”
Cultural differences are part of the problem. “Hispanics tend to
marry at a young age,” she says. “About half of the Hispanic
population age 15 and older is married.” Hispanics don’t
necessarily stay together, and so many Latino households are being
run by women alone, she says. An unstable family situation makes it
more difficult for Hispanics to get a college education, she
indicates.
Another deterrent faced by Hispanics seeking higher education
has been declining federal funding for college students. “Become
advocates for change in your community,” advises Dr. Lee-Rey.
“Society can no longer wait for us to educate, mentor and advocate
for Hispanics and other minorities.”
She adds that Hispanics often prefer to patronize medical
practitioners who come from similar backgrounds, although the
Hispanic community in New York is heterogeneous, coming from many
different Spanish-speaking countries. “Minority providers can
reduce cultural and linguistic barriers between the patient and
practitioner, and they’re more likely to work in under-served
communities, thereby increasing Hispanics’ access to care,” she
explains.
Ways to Increase Diversity
Universities and their faculty, says Dr. Lee-Rey, can improve
ethnic and racial diversity within the health professions through
these intervention strategies:
- Implement mentoring programs pairing students with
professionals and faculty for social support and academic and
career guidance.
- Offer financial support in the form of scholarships, loans or
loan repayment programs.
- Offer academic support in the form of enrichment, tutorials or
admissions preparation to assist students who need it; provide more
rigorous academic preparation for advanced degrees.
- Provide psychosocial support in the form of counseling,
motivational programs or peer groups to assist students in
their social adjustment to the educational program.
- Provide professional opportunities such as internships,
apprenticeships or information dissemination meant to expose
students to health profession careers.