Investigating the Disproportionately Low Number of Minority Physicians Working in the Healthcare Setting of Robeson County

UNCP Author/Contributor (non-UNCP co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
Linda Christina Council (Creator)
Institution
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke (UNCP )
Web Site: http://www.uncp.edu/academics/library
Advisor
Erika Young

Abstract: Robeson County is a very diverse county in North Carolina. With so many different ethnicities, and minorities making up a great proportion of the population, the physician workforce should reflect this diversity, but it does not. Looking into the population of areas such as Pembroke and Lumberton and comparing these numbers to the total amount of minorities who are working in the healthcare setting of Robeson County will show an uneven distribution of minorities who are working as physicians. It is important for the healthcare setting to be a diverse network of individuals who can relate to all patients regardless of race and/or language. Reasons why there are such as low number of minority physicians in healthcare could be from a number of different reasons such as a lack of resources, little to no encouragement, or simply no one there to show them the way to a career in medicine. The number of minority physicians has to increase and programs such as mentoring programs need to be implemented in high schools and middle schools to encourage minority youth to pursue a career in medicine.

Additional Information

Publication
Honors Project
Esther G. Maynor Honors College
Language: English
Date: 2016
Keywords
Minority Physicians, Healthcare Workforce, Ethnic Diversity, Robeson County, North Carolina, Pembroke, North Carolina, Lumberton, North Carolina

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