Join our community of resources, experts, and stories to address racism, culture, and equity in OBGYN training
Addressing Race and Racism.
Multiple studies repeatedly demonstrate that people of color suffer poorer obstetrical and gynecological outcomes in the United States. These disparities are noted in every specialty of obstetrics and gynecology; notable issues range from access to care to quality of care to patient-physician communication.
Changing Culture.
Medicine has long grappled with the impacts of systemic and individual racism on clinical care. In order for healthcare professionals to be expected to address inequities efficiently, they require perspective, mentorship, knowledge, and skills. Several programs were developed to address racism and institutional bias.
A scoping 2020 review by Deliz et al reviewed published literature on racial bias training programs in residency addressing racism in medicine, and noted that over 54% used mainly lectures, 64% were based on specific populations, and more than half were elective.
This means that institutional efforts unfortunately encourage selective bias, as only those interested in racial equity in medicine pursue these educational opportunities. If only a select few discuss this issue, then it becomes impossible for medicine to change as a community and culture.
Transforming OBGYN Training.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released a Committee Opinion on Race and Ethnic Disparities summarizing recent evidence and recommended that all OBGYN practitioners address inherent bias and systemic racism to address racial disparities in our field.
To supplement the opinion of ACOG and RCOG, several OBGYN resident physicians and medical students from several institutions created this resource.
Our Method
This resource includes a curated list of videos, audio, podcasts, organizations, and articles by experts and activists in the field, pushing for progress on the grassroots and institutional levels.
By creating this resource, we hope to illuminate the pervasiveness of racism in many elements of OBGYN care. We also want to make it easier to include topics on race and racism in as many clinical discussions as possible, ranging from pre-eclampsia to maternal mortality to vulvar dysplasia to mode of hysterectomy and more.
Several articles are also first hand accounts and experiences of providers and patients of color, hoping to shed light on the nuances of racial macro- and micro-aggressions in our field.
This collaborative project hope to support evolving discussions in our field, as we work together to build a more equitable society for the patients and providers in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
We need your help to keep this database up to date. Please send us any articles, lectures, resources, or curricula to add to this website.
Meet the Team
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Paulita Lara Mejia
Co-Director of RCO, Geisel Med, global health, women in science, community service to support underrepresented communities in medicine, aspiring OBGYN, she/her
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Taylor Cooper
Co-Director of RCO, GeiselMed, cardiovascular medicine, indigenous health rights, medical equity, she/her
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Micaela Dickinson
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Morgan Mackey
Resource curatorial team, OBGYN resident physician, environmental justice, NASA, indigenous rights, she/her
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Natalie DiCenzo
FLAME lectures, OBGYN resident physician at RWJMS, Drexel Med, environmental racism, complex family planning, advocacy, she/her
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Anirudh Udutha
Resource Curatorial Team Co-Lead, General Surgery Resident Physician at Brown, Geisel Med, she/they, health equity, transgender medicine, OBGYN
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Asia Gandy
Research Curatorial Team Co-Lead, OBGYN resident physician UCSF, Geisel Med, SNMA president, Centering Pregnancy, addressing racism in medicine, substance use in pregnancy, she/her
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Shilpa Darivemula Rao
Founder, RCO advisor, UNC GOG Fellow, OBGYN physician, cultural advocacy, Aseemkala Initiative, AMWA Dance and Theater Task Force Co-Founder, Reimagining Medicine Festival , she/her
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Rachel Bervell
RCO advisor, dreamer, advocate, Co lead for Reproductive Justice Co-founder of the BlackOBGYNProject, 2021 National Medical Association’s Top Physician’s Under 40, Hugs for Ghana Founder, Johns Hopkins Preventive Medicine Resident
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Fola Adesina
Maternal Mental Health RCO Database Lead, MD Candidate at UCI, MSc Global Mental Health, health disparities in Black diaspora populations, mental health in LIC settings, stress and diet during pregnancy, she/her
About US
Our team includes OBGYN resident-physicians and medical students from medical schools in the United States (indicating our biases while building this database). We are always looking to expand our curatorial team globally to improve the range of articles and resources. If you are interested in joining us, please contact us with your CV and statement of purpose.
This project is the work of several medical students and residents, starting with the building of the database, creating the powerpoints, and starting the podcast.
We owe thanks to the following incredible people:
Hannah Fanucchi, MD; Ivie Eweka, MD; Kate Miele; Michael Belmonte, MD; Anusha Venkatesh, MBBS; Chyanne Brown, MD; Alexandra Morgan, MD; Sierra Starr, MD; Grace Soloman, MD; Tala Radejko, MD; Rin Helfin, MD Candidate; Kathryn Kinnear, MD Candidate, Kyra Bonasia, MD, Tania Aziz, MD.
If you have curricula or resources you would like to share, please contact us above.