Osteopathic Physicians and Students Network
A group of Black females have joined together to help others succeed with their dreams of success within healthcare careers.
FAMILY BACKGROUND
Kayla Davenport (KD) grew up in the foster care system of northern New Jersey. KD is one of several Black women striving to help one another be successful in health care careers.
CHILDHOOD
KD realized she wanted to become a doctor when she was in high school, while doing volunteer work with patients near her home. But she was “short on guidance” – no doctors in her family and no mentors to show her how to make it into and through the highly competitive, healthcare profession.
Her adoptive father took charge, making sure that KD felt supported. “He would do the research for me, find the resources and send them to me, which got me to the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)” where in late 2023, KD is a third-year medical student.
EDUCATION
Editor’s note: Osteopathic medicine is a branch of the U.S. medical profession that promotes the practice of science-based medicine with a set of philosophy and principles which historically were outside the mainstream of American medicine but have since been recognized to provide full practice rights as medical doctors in all 50 states. Training of Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DOs) is now virtually the same as training of Doctors of Medicine (MDs) for both medicine and surgery.
However, due to the historical differences between medicine and osteopathy, some critics of osteopathic medical training continue to persist. This editor takes no position on those issues.
DOs use all conventional methods of diagnosis and treatment and practice across all specialties of medicine and surgery, though DOs also receive specialized training in osteopathic manipulative treatment during medical school.
The Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) has three campuses: one in Philadelphia, PA and two in Georgia. PCOM offers Certificate and Degree programs in a wide range of healthcare careers including Behavior Analysis, Psychology, Biomedical Sciences, Forensic Medicine, Medical Laboratory Science, Osteopathic Medicine, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy and Physician’s Assistant. (For details regarding the scope of all current programs, admission requirements and costs, review their website.)
CREATING A NETWORK TO HELP OTHERS
As a third-year student enrolled at PCOM in Philadelphia, KD said, “I’m very driven and motivated to get to the top, however I need to. I just started to realize how lucky I was… not everyone has (a parental figure’s guidance), and I don’t think it’d be fair for people that have these aspirations to be held back because they have limited support.”
Now, KD wants to be that same resource for other Black women in medical and graduate school. KD is one of the founding members of “Sisters in Medicine” (SIM) at PCOM, a group meant to support the next generation of Black women in healthcare. The group officially launched earlier in 2023, modeling itself after other Sisters in Medicine chapters based at PCOM’s two campuses in Georgia.
“Being a minority sometimes can present many challenges navigating through the curriculum and different career milestones,” said Ashley Poole, an Assistant Professor in clinical psychology at PCOM and a faculty adviser to the Philadelphia Chapter of SIM. “The hope is that Sisters in Medicine will create a network and an opportunity to connect with other women that may have similar experiences…. And to work collaboratively to uplift and support each other,” said Professor Poole.
Poole graduated from PCOM in 2020 after attending an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) before she arrived at PCOM. She wasn’t sure what her experience would be like at a predominantly White institution and made the effort to connect with Black mentors and student groups. Luckily, she found the right supports that helped her succeed, and now she wants to make sure that others like her have the same guidance.
“Community is so important. I have served on committees where we’ve looked at students that have not been so successful…The common thing that I’ve seen is individuals who try to do it alone,” she said. “A sense of community has been monumental to my ability to progress to where I am.”
It would be easy for Black women in medicine to feel lonely since they make up fewer than 3% of all physicians in the U.S. today, according to census data. It’s part of the reason why the theme for Sisters in Medicine’s meetings and discussions in 2023 will be mental health.
“When it comes to mental health, you tend to see Black women in that demographic of individuals experiencing a lot of challenges, and often not seeking that help,” Poole said. “Health care is a field where providers tend to experience high burnout.”
A second year PCOM student involved with SIM, Amber Davis, said, “I really enjoy being able to see other people that look like me. Sisters in Medicine is giving me the opportunity to learn from more experienced mentors as I pursue a career in pediatrics.”
SIM plans to share its mental health resources and practices with Black communities outside of PCOM. “I want the community to know that there are Black doctors that are here to advocate for them,” said Davis. “It’s really important for us to be able to go out there and break the stigmas about mental health in the Black community and be able to get out resources for people who don’t know what they don’t know.”
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This career story is based on several sources: a news article written by Nate File, published within The Philadelphia Inquirer on September 25, 2023 plus internet research including Wikipedia.
