(WUNC, Brianna Atkinson) — Two of the state’s private Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are partnering with Duke University to increase representation in the medical field. Students from Bennett College, a women’s-only institution in Greensboro, and Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh will participate in a 15-month intensive program to study otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat) and communication sciences.
According to the American Medical Association, otolaryngology has especially low numbers of women and Black people compared to other medical specialties. Women make up about 2.5% of the field and Black people just 1.1%.
Dr. Dennis Frank-Ito is leading the program at Duke University. He said in his experience, many Black students aren’t aware of otolaryngology and communication sciences until they are already deep into their undergraduate studies.
“Which might be too late for them to start taking the right classes in preparation for this,” Frank-Ito said. “There’s a critical need (because) we know that for Black and African American patients, if there is a concordance between the patient and the provider that often leads to better health outcomes.”
According to a 2023 study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), there are “significant healthcare disparities in care and treatment outcomes” for underrepresented groups in otolaryngology. The study found that Black patients have higher instances of HPV and oropharyngeal cancer, as well as a lower survival rate compared to white patients.
Frank-Ito hopes the program at Duke, which will run for at least five years, will help more Black students gain interest in the field.
“We are hoping that in the next 10 years we can see that through this program we have more Black professionals in our field,” Frank-Ito said. “And when we look at health outcomes for Black and other minority populations – especially in the Triangle area – there’s an improvement in how patients feel when they see specialists in our field. That’s the legacy we plan to leave behind.”
In each cycle, there will be three rising juniors from Bennett College and Saint Augustine’s University. At least one student will come from each university.
The cohort will stay on Duke University’s campus for the summer, where they will participate in clinical trainings and professional development. This can range from classes about how COVID-19 affects the sense of smell to how to gather data from online libraries. The program is being funded through an R25 grant from the NIH.
After the summer sessions, students will work with Duke faculty remotely for the remainder of the 15-month cycle. Frank-Ito said all students that apply to the program will have access to these virtual trainings and materials.
“So even though they were not selected, they still have enough information from this training program to have the right exposure, whether or not to pursue a career in our field,” Frank-Ito said. “Our lasting impact is to increase representation in our field. We want to ensure that through this program, we are going to be able to pave the way for more Black professionals in otolaryngology and communication sciences.”