Enhancing American Indians'/Alaska Natives' Knowledge, Confidence, and Community During the Medical School Application Process: Findings From the Northwest Native American Center of Excellence.

PURPOSE: To describe a Medical School Applicant Workshop (MSAW); present lessons learned about its impact on American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) participants' knowledge, confidence, and sense of community; and report on participants' medical school application progress 1 year after workshop completion. METHOD: The Northwest Native American Center of Excellence at Oregon Health & Science University developed and implemented an annual 1-day AIAN MSAW in 2018. The main objectives of the workshop are for participants to gain insights into the medical school application process; learn strategies to competitively apply; receive feedback on their personal statement and mock interviews; and discuss the medical school application process with AIAN faculty, admissions deans, and peer-mentors. Recruitment of AIAN participants occurred via email; social media; text messaging; medical association contacts; and AIAN and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics organizations. Two surveys were administered: one immediately after and another 1-year after the workshop. RESULTS: Forty AIAN MSAW participants were accepted in 2018-2020. Findings indicate statistically significant increases in participants' self-reported knowledge of the medical school application process and in their self-reported confidence. Participants reported meeting other AIAN students was highly beneficial and feeling connected to a community of AIAN health professionals after attending the workshop. Among the 25 participants who completed the 1-year follow-up survey, 12 (48.0%) indicated applying to medical school; all 12 of these participants were invited to interview, and 11 were offered acceptance to at least one medical school. CONCLUSIONS: Completing the MSAW increased participants' knowledge, confidence, and sense of community. If other programs and institutions were to consider using the MSAW model to reduce barriers and provide supports specifically designed for AIANs before and during the medical school application process, medical schools may stand to further increase AIAN representation in the physician workforce and ultimately to decrease health inequities among AIANs.

Wy'east: An Innovative, Culturally Responsive Postbaccalaureate Pathway for American Indians and Alaska Natives.

PROBLEM: American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIANs) face significant health disparities that are exacerbated by limited access to high-quality, culturally congruent health care providers. There are no premedical postbaccalaureate programs focused on AIAN students. APPROACH: The Northwest Native American Center of Excellence designed the Wy'east Pathway in 2018 to increase the number of AIANs matriculating to U.S. medical schools by supporting those on the cusp of matriculation. Wy'east scholars undertake 10 months of structured programming to augment their academic preparation, improve their Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, and enhance their confidence and cultural identity. Cultural events and mentorship opportunities with AIAN faculty, staff, and cultural liaisons are threaded throughout the pathway curriculum to foster cultural resilience, mentorship, and community. Scholars earn conditional acceptance to Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) School of Medicine if they complete Wy'east and meet the following criteria: pass all examinations in the primary curricular threads, obtain a qualifying MCAT score, and meet professionalism standards. OUTCOMES: All 14 scholars who successfully completed Wy'east and met criteria in the first 2 cohorts (academic years 2018-2019 and 2019-2020) earned conditional acceptance to OHSU School of Medicine. Ten of the 14 scholars (71.4%) matriculated to OHSU School of Medicine, 2 (14.3%) matriculated to other medical schools, and 2 (14.3%) chose to pursue other health care fields. Wy'east scholars rated the foundational science of medicine and population health and epidemiology threads higher in terms of making them feel better prepared for medical school (mean = 4.71 and 4.83, respectively) than the academic skills and wellness thread (mean = 3.43). NEXT STEPS: Over the next 5 years, Wy'east will grow incrementally to offer a total of 18 conditional acceptance spots per cohort across 3 medical schools. Longitudinal tracking of Wy'east scholars' medical training and career outcomes will be conducted.

American Indian/Alaska Native Child Health and Poverty.

One in three American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children live in poverty. This rate is higher in some reservation communities. The alarming rates of physical, mental, and social health inequities (eg, poverty) experienced by AI/AN children are symptoms of genocide, a legacy of inhumane Federal Indian policy, and ongoing structural violence. The chronically underfunded Indian Health Service (IHS) is just one example where AI/AN children are not universally guaranteed equitable health care or opportunity to thrive. Poverty is highly predictive of educational achievement, employment opportunities, violence, and ultimately health outcomes. COVID-19 has not only exacerbated physical and mental health inequities experienced by AI/AN communities, but has also intensified the economic consequences of inequity. Thus, it is vital to advocate for programs and policies that are evidence based, incorporate cultural ways of knowing, and dismantle structurally racist policies.

Land Rights and Health Outcomes in American Indian/Alaska Native Children.

American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) land rights, sovereignty conflicts, and health outcomes have been significantly influenced by settler colonialism. This principle has driven the numerous relocations and forced assimilation of AI/AN children as well as the claiming of AI/AN lands across the United States. As tribes across the country begin to reclaim these lands and others continue to struggle for sovereignty, it is imperative to recognize that land rights are a determinant of health in AI/AN children. Aside from the demonstrated biological risks of environmental health injustices including exposure to air pollution, heavy metals, and lack of running water, AI/AN children must also face the challenges of historical trauma, the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples crisis, and health care inequity based on land allocation. Although there is an undeniable relationship between land rights and the health of AI/AN children, there is a need for extensive research into the impacts of land rights and recognition of sovereignty on the health of AI/AN children. In this article we aim to summarize existing evidence describing the impact of these factors on the health of AI/AN children and provide strateg ies that can help pediatricians care and advocate for this population.

American Indians and Alaska Natives in the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Grave Burden We Stand to Bear.

The United States is bearing witness as a crisis-within-a-crisis unfolds across Indian Country, where a persistently underfunded system with inadequate resources and outdated facilities set the stage for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to overwhelm Tribes. Now is the time to reimagine our way forward as a country beyond the pandemic. To address these issues, we recommend that (1) the federal government appropriately fund the Indian Health Service and work more closely with tribal governments, and (2) programs that recruit, train, and retain American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) health professionals be expanded. We offer guidance on decisive and impactful steps that can be taken, together, today.

Measurement of American Indian and Alaska Native Racial Identity Among Medical School Applicants, Matriculants, and Graduates, 1996-2017.

Importance: Accurate racial/ethnic identity measurement is needed to understand the effectiveness of outreach, recruitment, and programs to support American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people becoming physicians. Objective: To examine how changes in race/ethnicity data collection by the American Medical College Application System are associated with trends in applicants, matriculants, and graduates self-reporting as AIAN. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this cohort study, interrupted time series regression was conducted using data from the American Medical College Application system identifying medical school applicants and graduates between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 2017, who identified as AIAN. The number of students identifying as AIAN was compared before and after the American Medical College Application System changed how it collected race/ethnicity data in 2002. Data analyses were conducted between December 2019 and May 2019. Exposures: Applicants could select only 1 racial identity from 1996 to 2001 and could select more than 1 racial identity from 2002 to 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Rates of AIAN groups before and after changing how race/ethnicity data were collected. Covariates were age, sex, and Medical College Admission Test scores. Results: The total number of individuals identifying as AIAN in the study was 8361; the mean (SD) number of applicants per year was 380.0 (89.9) overall: 257.3 (39.6) in 1996 to 2001, with a mean (SD) age of 26.6 (5.5) years and 830 (54.0%) male individuals, and 426.1 (50.1) in 2002 to 2017, with a mean (SD) age of 25.5 (5.6) years and 3441 (50.5%) female individuals. Before the change, there was a decrease of 5% per year (relative rate [RR] of 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.98; P < .001) in the rate of AIAN applicants. In 2002, the change in data collection was associated with an immediate 78% relative increase in applicants (RR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.55-2.06; P < .001). From 2002 to 2017 there was a 10% increase in applicants per year (RR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.06-1.14; P < .001). For matriculants, yearly trends indicated a nonsignificant 3% decrease before the change, whereas the change was associated with an immediate 62% relative increase in matriculants (RR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.35-1.95; P < .001), with no difference in trend after the change. For graduates, a nonsignificant yearly decrease of 2% was found in the mean number of graduates before the change, whereas the change was associated with an immediate 94% relative increase (RR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.57-2.38; P < .001), followed by no change in trend after the modification. Conclusions and Relevance: Changing the method of race/ethnicity data collection captured more AIAN applicants, matriculants, and graduates. Yearly trends indicate concerning although nonsignificant differences after the change for AIAN graduates. These findings should inform diversity efforts.

A Systematic Review of Tracheostomy Modifications and Swallowing in Adults.

Dysphagia occurs in 11% to 93% of patients following tracheostomy. Despite its benefits, the tracheostomy often co-exists with dysphagia given its anatomical location, the shared pathway of the respiratory and alimentary systems, and the medical complexities necessitating the need for the artificial airway. When tracheostomy weaning commences, it is often debated whether the methods used facilitate swallowing recovery. We conducted a systematic review to determine whether tracheostomy modifications alter swallowing physiology in adults. We searched eight electronic databases, nine grey literature repositories and conducted handsearching. We included studies that reported on oropharyngeal dysphagia as identified by instrumentation in adults with a tracheostomy. We accepted case series (n > 10), prospective or retrospective observational studies, and randomized control trials. We excluded patients with head and neck cancer and/or neurodegenerative disease. Two independent and blinded reviewers rated abstracts and articles for study inclusion. Data abstraction and risk of bias assessment was conducted on included studies. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. A total of 7079 citations were identified, of which, 639 articles were reviewed, with ten articles meeting our inclusion criteria. The studies were heterogeneous in study design, patient population, and outcome measures. For these reasons, we presented our findings descriptively. All studies were limited by bias risk. This study highlights the limitations of the evidence and therefore the inability to conclude whether tracheostomy modifications alter swallowing physiology.

Shifting the Tide: Innovative Strategies to Develop an American Indian/Alaska Native Physician Workforce.

Despite extensive efforts to diversify the US physician workforce and increases in both the number of US medical schools and number of students enrolled, there has been no difference in the matriculation and graduation of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). Furthermore, advancement remains elusive for AI/AN US medical school faculty, which currently constitutes approximately 0.1% of all US medical school faculty and remains disproportionately underrepresented at the Associate and Full Professor ranks. The Northwest Native American Center of Excellence (NNACoE) aims to address these worrisome trends by implementing innovative programs to support a meaningful journey toward recruiting, training, and supporting AI/AN youth, medical students and faculty. NNACoE has piloted three innovations: 1) Tribal Health Scholars, a 14-week clinical shadowing experience for AI/AN youth in their tribal clinic; 2) Wy'East Post-baccalaureate Pathway, a 9-month structured curriculum with conditional acceptance into Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine; and 3) Indigenous Faculty Forum, a longitudinal professional development conference for AI/AN medical school faculty to foster career advancement. NNACoE piloted all three programs in 2017 and is actively expanding efforts, while systematically evaluating all programs. Pilot results demonstrate that all Tribal Health Scholars are pursuing college and health science majors, 10 AI/AN Wy'East Post-Baccalaureate Scholars are enrolled to date, and 63 Indigenous medical school faculty are participating in professional development. More systematic evaluation of AI/AN-specific programming is needed to better illuminate how to successfully recruit, train and retain AI/ANs in the US physician workforce.

Are Pediatricians Complicit in Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all newborns receive a single dose of intramuscular vitamin K to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding. How should the clinician respond when parents decline vitamin K? Although vitamin K deficiency bleeding can have devastating sequelae, they are uncommon; therefore, parents are generally allowed to decline vitamin K after counseling is provided. When parents ask for a vitamin K preparation of unproven effectiveness, should the clinician honor that request? To address these questions, we present a case of a healthy newborn whose parents declined intramuscular vitamin K and requested an oral preparation. Two general pediatricians discuss the medical and ethical issues these situations pose, and the parents describe their experience.