Fostering greater diversity in doctors working in myeloma
A novel mentorship initiative for African American medical students
By Dr. Joseph Mikhael, IMF Chief Medical Officer
Myeloma may well be the cancer with the greatest disparity in the African American community. The disease is twice as common in African Americans, while overall survival is half that of White patients. The reasons for this are complex and include but are not limited to delayed diagnosis, lack of access to key therapies, mistrust of the medical system, and systemic racism. Another key reason for the lack of health equity in myeloma is the lack of diversity in doctors working in the field of oncology, and especially in myeloma. We know that when a patient’s healthcare team includes a member whose background is similar to the patient, better outcomes are achieved.
At present, very few myeloma experts are individuals of African descent. To make a significant change, it is essential to capture the interest and to nurture the proficiency in myeloma in the African American medical community. Exposing African American medical students to the disparity in myeloma may translate into greater interest in the disease and may attract them to a career in myeloma. That is why the IMF has formed a partnership with the W. Montague Cobb National Medical Association (NMA) Health Institute (Cobb Institute). Founded in 2004, the Cobb Institute is named in honor of the late Dr. William Montague Cobb, who influenced countless graduates of Howard University School of Medicine, including Dr. Randall C. Morgan Jr., an orthopedic surgeon and Founding Executive Director of the Cobb Institute.
Together, we have created the Medical Student Scholars for Health Equity in Myeloma program, a novel mentorship initiative for African American medical students. Launched in December 2022, the program captured the attention of many applicants enrolled in the Cobb Scholars program, and the 12 most promising candidates were chosen by a selection committee. Each of the 12 mentees, some of whom are enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities, is matched with a myeloma expert who is mentoring them in the development of a myeloma-specific project on health disparities. In July 2023, the mentors and mentees will gather at the annual meeting of the NMA, and each student scholar will present their work at a special symposium.
The Medical Student Scholars for Health Equity in Myeloma partnership is a natural fit for the IMF’s M-Power program, the nationwide initiative by the IMF to improve the short-term and long-term outcomes of patients with myeloma in the African American community. As an African American myeloma doctor, this is both a personal and professional mission for me. Part of my myeloma story is to find solutions to this health inequity by leading the M-Power program, engaging with the community to raise awareness of myeloma, educating primary care providers to improve the early and accurate diagnosis of myeloma, and facilitating enhanced access to culturally sensitive care for all myeloma patients.
The IMF’s M-Power program is both national and local. Resources are provided for all, with focus on key regions where the incidence of myeloma is high and the disparity large. Community engagement is conducted at multiple levels. Through the M-Power program, the IMF highlights the importance of healthcare access and patient education for improving diagnosis, management, and survival of myeloma patients in underserved and understudied populations.
The IMF is dedicated to improving the quality of life of ALL myeloma patients while working toward prevention and a cure. The Medical Student Scholars for Health Equity in Myeloma program is a novel step forward in fulfilling our mission. Mentorship of African American medical students will give them the tools necessary to better understand myeloma and its significance in the African American community, and help develop their expertise in addressing health disparities.
For more than 30 years, the IMF has built nationwide and global networks of relationships that help us reach patients with myeloma, healthcare providers in the community and in academia, and scientific and clinical investigators making great strides in myeloma research. We hope that the participants in the Medical Student Scholars for Health Equity in Myeloma mentorships will choose to continue to work in myeloma, increasing the pool of doctors from the African American community who will care for myeloma patients and serve as ambassadors for myeloma and for the IMF.
Stay tuned for Dr. Mikhael’s next #WHEREISDRJOE column and contact the IMF InfoLine with your myeloma-related questions and concerns. Phone lines are open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Pacific) Monday through Friday at 1.800.452.CURE in the U.S. and Canada and 1.818.487.7455 worldwide. To submit your query electronically, email [email protected].
(This article was published in the 2023 Spring Edition of the IMF's quarterly publication, Myeloma Today. Read the full publication here.)