Doctors from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Health System: (L-R) Dr. Andre Bryan, Dr. Dahlia Townsend, Dr. Michelle Ng Gong, (photo courtesy of AECOM)

This week’s BronxTalk on BronxNet takes a look at the lack of diversity in medicine and how it affects care, especially during this time of pandemic when quality medical care is literally a matter of life or death.

According to the Associated Medical Schools of NY (AMSNY), today there are as few Black men in medicine as there were in the 1970s and In New York State, between 2011 and 2015, Blacks/African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos were approximately 31% of the population, yet only 12% of the physician workforce.

Jo Wiederhorn, President & CEO of the AMSNY talked with host Gary Axelbank about their study Addressing the Challenges of a Diverse Physician Workforce that sheds light on health disparities, barriers to diversifying the physician workforce, as well as the gap in physician diversity and how it contributes to the gross health disparities faced by people of color which have been magnified by the coronavirus pandemic.

Also Nilda Soto, Assistant Dean for Diversity Enhancement at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, reviewed their on-going scholastic programs in city schools designed to inspire young people of color to enter the field of medicine.