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On November 6, 2002, residents and faculty at the Columbia University Medical Center
Family Medicine Residency Program founded the Family Medicine Minority Caucus.
- Recruit minority residents for our Family Medicine residency at local,
state, and national levels.
- Stimulate interest in and awareness of the Family Medicine specialty for
minority medical student and pre-medical student groups.
- Create and participate in outreach projects for underserved communities in
Washington Heights, Harlem, Inwood, and the greater New York City metropolitan area.
- Provide social support for minority residents, faculty, and medical students.
- Stimulate learning within the residency and medical school communities about
minority health issues and disparities, cultural competence, social advocacy, and politics.
Today, the Family Medicine Minority Caucus - in collaboration with the Black
and Latino Student Organization (BALSO) at Columbia P&S - has grown into a vibrant advocacy
group of residents, faculty, and medical students who are dynamically fulfilling the goals.
MEMBERSHIP IS OPEN TO ALL FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENTS AND FACULTY
Our group defines "minority" as an underrepresented group in medicine and/or
society (race/ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, etc.). Participation in the
Caucus, however, is not limited to members of these groups. The objective is to learn through
diversification, so everyone is welcome to participate!
Our residents and faculty provide support, teaching sessions, and mentoring for the P&S
Black and Latino Medical Student Organization, the Office of the Dean of Minority Affairs,
and the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program for premed students.
The Family Medicine Minority Caucus participates in numerous community outreach programs.
The Salon Health Outreach Project (S.H.O.P.), for example, provides health education to the
women of northern Manhattan. Every month, the patrons of a local beauty salon select a health
care topic they want to know more about. The residents prepare a 15-minute presentation on this
topic, which they present at the beauty salon in both English and Spanish. The presentations
are then followed by 45 minutes of lively discussion over the challenging hum of hair dryers!
GIRLTALK and GUYTALK are programs geared to empowering teens of color in learning
more about HIV and AIDS prevention in local high schools. The sessions are co-sponsored
by Family Medicine residents and BALSO students.
The Caucus meets once a month to discuss the residents' varied Community Oriented Primary
Care projects, which are a required component of the residency curriculum. We also
participate in local health fairs, youth-at-risk programs, and much more.
Every year the Family Medicine Minority Caucus plans two of the residency's Family
Medicine Grand Round Nights: "Black History Month Night Celebration" in February
and "Latino Culture Night Celebration" in September. All Caucus members participate
in developing these events, which include biopsychosocial and public health presentations and
cultural celebrations (food and dancing included). Small samples of previous presentations include:
- Health Practices and Beliefs of the Dominican Republic
- Eliminating Health Disparities for African Americans: The Role of Family Medicine
- The Music and Rhythms of South Africa
- Understanding The Cuban Health Care System
- Azucar! La Vida de Celia Cruz
- Black History Through Spoken Word
Additionally, the minority caucus members prepare or sponsor many other didactic and
cultural events throughout the year (e.g., Gay and Lesbian Health lectures, Race in Medicine seminars, etc.)
Members often host dinners, movies nights, and other social events that showcase their
diverse cultural backgrounds. Significant others and partners are always welcome.
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