Page 18 - RU RWJ Medicine Magazine • Winter 2021

Language Matters
Implicit bias trainings are run by Dr. Whitley- Williams and also Janice Cato Varlack, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and associate
dean of multicultural affairs, who emphasizes the importance of language in how clinicians refer to disease for people of color. Dr. Cato Varlack explains, “Social determinants of health aren’t always talked about and taught, especially the structural racism that con- tributes to those diseases. We are providing this information to our faculty so they can alter the way they talk about patients as they teach students.”
While you can contribute some health out- comes to genetics, it’s inadequacy of health care, food deserts, and a lack of clean air and water that contribute to disease, according to Dr. Cato Varlack. She says, “The language that is often used around Black patients places blame on the patients themselves without recognizing how systemic racism affects their health. Sub- sequently, the care that we provide as a result of those pre-conceived notions is affected.”
By amending the way we talk about disease and its contributors, Dr. Cato Varlack hopes students will learn that it is not simply race that makes a person more susceptible to disease, but racism. This recognition will enable
students to treat the patient as a person, rather than a statistic.
Diversity and Inclusion for Students
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School has excellent student diversity. URM students make up 25 percent of the Class of 2024, and 21
percent across all four years. This is more diverse than most medical schools, which, according to the AAMC, averaged 14 percent URM students in 2019/2020.
Carol A. Terregino, MD ’86, senior associ- ate dean for education and academic affairs, explains, “One of the reasons we’re successful at matriculating diverse students is that we use a holistic approach to evaluate applicants.
We acknowledge that there is a wide range of academic metrics over which an individual can succeed in medical school and that ‘distance traveled’ experiential preparation and per- sonal competencies are as important as ‘the numbers’ for future doctors.”
Dr. Terregino describes the admissions process as centering around the whole person. Rather than only prioritizing standardized test scores, the medical school values a candidate’s commitment to service, experience working with underserved populations, and understanding of social determinants of health. The Admissions
The admissions process at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is centered around the whole person. Rather than only prioritizing standardized test scores, the medical school values a candidate’s commitment to service, experience working with underserved populations, and understanding of social determinants of health.
16 Robert WoodJohnson | MEDICINE