Doctor Hoping To Provide Role Models For Black Girls
BY ASHLEY VARGOSt. Louis PostDispatch
Fewer than 6% of physicians in the U.S. Are Black or African American — and even fewer are Black women. Dr. Jovita Oruwari, a St. Louis area breast cancer surgeon, is working to increase those numbers.
In her new book, "Black Girls in White Coats," Oruwari features a collection of Black female doctors to show the next generation of Black girls that they have a place in the medical field.
"I think it's really important for us to start thinking about the next generation of doctors," she said. "There are not enough role models to highlight that this is a great field to go into."
In the book, medical professionals like anesthesiologists, oncologists, psychologists and more briefly recount their own career paths and give advice to those aspiring to one day don their own white coats. Oruwari, who is Nigerian, said she hopes the book will help increase the representation of Black women in medicine and ultimately lead to more equitable patient care.
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Dr. Melba Akinwande, owner of Chesterfield Dentistry and a contributor to the book, said her philosophy for building patient trust is about loving the work she does.
"I believe that you give what you have on the inside, and that comes across," she said. "It comes across in your body language and the way that you greet [patients] with a warm and welcoming smile."
Akinwande describes in her chapter of "Black Girls in White Coats" that one of her biggest obstacles was believing she could even become a doctor. That was, until she went to her orthodontist — a Black, female orthodontist — for braces at the age of 12. That experience caused her to fall in love with dentistry while also giving her a role model that she said led her to think, "Alright, I can do that."
She hopes that the book will illustrate that there's always a chance to become a physician.
"You can still make it," Akinwande said. "Even if you don't see it in person, hopefully you can see yourself through the book."
Building trust with patients
Oruwari said she has seen firsthand mistrust of the medical community, especially among Black and African American patients, which she attributes to the long history of their maltreatment by doctors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, some patients were hesitant to get vaccinated, but she was able to build trust.
"It really highlighted to me the importance of patients hearing things from people who look like them," Oruwari said. "I think it makes a big difference."
And she's not alone in this belief. Studies have shown that Black patients tend to have better population health measures, including life expectancy, when there are more Black primary care doctors in the area.
But that representation is still lacking — despite making up 13.6% of the population, only about 5.7% of doctors in the U.S. Are Black or African American, and even fewer are Black women. In the fall of 2022, Washington University reported that just 8% of the degree-seeking students on the medical campus were African American.
After graduating from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, Oruwari came to Missouri in late 2001. Now, in Bridgeton, she feels as though she's found the place where her work can make a serious impact.
"In this demographic, I feel like I'm doing what I was meant to do," she said. "I think I'm making a big difference because I'm taking care of women who … I don't think would've been cared for or paid attention to as much as I pay attention to them."
Oruwari sees increasing the representation of Black women in medicine as a path to building more patient trust and correcting disease disparities. For example, Black women still have a 40% higher breast cancer death rate compared to White women, according to the American Cancer Society. These issues put the idea for writing "Black Girls in White Coats" in Oruwari's mind for years.
During the pandemic, she began to work on the book more seriously and realized that the topic was greater than her own story alone. She started reaching out to other physicians on social media, as well as friends and colleagues, asking them to share their stories.
"It was really heartwarming," Oruwari said. "Hearing that people had struggles similar to the struggles that I had was great to see."
Dr. Leslie Scott, an obstetriciangynecologist also at SSM Health DePaul Hospital and a contributor to "Black Girls in White Coats," tells in her chapter of the book that she knew she wanted to be a doctor from a young age, and that her experience as a teenage mom led her to choosing a specialty that provides care for women.
"I'm always up for telling my story," Scott said. "I think that's what makes my connection with patients and people so much stronger, because I bring myself down to just a person. I'm a doctor, but I'm a person, too, and I've had my own health struggles."
With her patients, she's noticed that racial concordance can help build trust, but believes that consideration and understanding are more important when it comes to providing quality treatment.
"It's all about having compassion for where a patient comes from and immersing yourself in their environment and understanding that environment, which really lets them know that you care," Scott said. "So, it doesn't really take them looking like you, but it definitely helps."
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Bridgeton Doctor Hopes To Provide Young Black Girls With Role Models In Medicine With New Book
Fewer than 6% of physicians in the U.S. Are Black or African American — and even fewer are Black women. Dr. Jovita Oruwari, a St. Louis area breast cancer surgeon, is working to increase those numbers.
In her new book, "Black Girls in White Coats," Oruwari features a collection of Black female doctors to show the next generation of Black girls that they have a place in the medical field.
"I think it's really important for us to start thinking about the next generation of doctors," she said. "There are not enough role models to highlight that this is a great field to go into."
In the book, medical professionals like anesthesiologists, oncologists and psychologists briefly recount their own career paths and give advice to those aspiring to one day don their own white coats. Oruwari, who is Nigerian, said she hopes the book will help increase the representation of Black women in medicine and ultimately lead to more equitable patient care.
People are also reading…
Dr. Melba Akinwande, owner of Chesterfield Dentistry and a contributor to the book, said her philosophy for building patient trust is about loving the work she does.
"I believe that you give what you have on the inside, and that comes across," she said. "It comes across in your body language and the way that you greet [patients] with a warm and welcoming smile."
Akinwande describes in her chapter of "Black Girls in White Coats" that one of her biggest obstacles was believing she could even become a doctor. That was, until she went to her orthodontist — a Black, female orthodontist — for braces at the age of 12. That experience caused her to fall in love with dentistry while also giving her a role model that she said led her to think, "Alright, I can do that."
She hopes that the book will illustrate that there's always a chance to become a physician.
"You can still make it," Akinwande said. "Even if you don't see it in person, hopefully you can see yourself through the book."
Building trust with patients
Oruwari said she has seen firsthand mistrust of the medical community, especially among Black and African American patients, which she attributes to the long history of their maltreatment by doctors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, some patients were hesitant to get vaccinated, but she was able to build trust.
"It really highlighted to me the importance of patients hearing things from people who look like them," Oruwari said. "I think it makes a big difference."
And she's not alone in this belief. Studies have shown that Black patients tend to have better population health measures, including life expectancy, when there are more Black primary care doctors in the area.
But that representation is still lacking — despite making up 13.6% of the population, only about 5.7% of doctors in the U.S. Are Black or African American, and even fewer are Black women. In the fall of 2022, Washington University reported that just 8% of the degree-seeking students on the medical campus were African American.
After graduating from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, Oruwari came to Missouri in late 2001. Now, in Bridgeton, she feels as though she's found the place where her work can make a serious impact.
"In this demographic, I feel like I'm doing what I was meant to do," she said. "I think I'm making a big difference because I'm taking care of women who … I don't think would've been cared for or paid attention to as much as I pay attention to them."
Oruwari sees increasing the representation of Black women in medicine as a path to building more patient trust and correcting disease disparities. For example, Black women still have a 40% higher breast cancer death rate compared to White women, according to the American Cancer Society. These issues put the idea for writing "Black Girls in White Coats" in Oruwari's mind for years.
During the pandemic, she began to work on the book more seriously and realized that the topic was greater than her own story alone. She started reaching out to other physicians on social media, as well as friends and colleagues, asking them to share their stories.
"It was really heartwarming," Oruwari said. "Hearing that people had struggles similar to the struggles that I had was great to see."
Dr. Leslie Scott, an obstetrician-gynecologist also at SSM Health DePaul Hospital and a contributor to "Black Girls in White Coats," tells in her chapter of the book that she knew she wanted to be a doctor from a young age, and that her experience as a teenage mom led her to choosing a specialty that provides care for women.
"I'm always up for telling my story," Scott said. "I think that's what makes my connection with patients and people so much stronger, because I bring myself down to just a person. I'm a doctor, but I'm a person, too, and I've had my own health struggles."
With her patients, she's noticed that racial concordance can help build trust, but believes that consideration and understanding are more important when it comes to providing quality treatment.
"It's all about having compassion for where a patient comes from and immersing yourself in their environment and understanding that environment, which really lets them know that you care," Scott said. "So, it doesn't really take them looking like you, but it definitely helps."
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42 Puffer Jackets That Won't Make You Look Like The Michelin Man This Winter
At PEDESTRIAN.TV, we independently choose and write about stuff we love and think you'll froth too. We have affiliate partnerships so we might get a bit of money from any purchase you make based on our recs, cool? Cool. FYI – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.
Winter is well and truly here, and to say I dread stepping out into the icy chill every morning is a severe understatement, besties. I know this Arctic weather is an excellent excuse to wear all your warm clothes and lay inside in the foetal position binge-watching TV, but if your workplace has an enforced work-from-office policy (aka borderline torture), puffer jackets are where it's at when it comes to rugging up on your commute.
Puffers have really exploded in popularity over the last few years, and it's not hard to see why. I mean, who wouldn't want to be as warm as a freshly-made burrito no matter where they are? Now, I'm on the hunt for the perfect one to buy, so saddle up because you're about to come on this journey with me. Hopefully, because you actually want to.
I've done some digging and found loads of options, as not all puffer jackets are the same. Some are filled with polyester, some with down, some with more ethical down (as in, there is some form of transparency around where the down comes from), and some with synthetic down.
Generally speaking, the polyester fill choices can be great for general cool temps, but if you're, say, heading into some sub-zero snow situation, you might want to get a down-filled puffer. Then again, if the polyester fill is dense enough, it can be a great vegan option too — just be sure to do some research before smashing that add to cart button.
Anyway, here's a bunch of ops for ya.
READ MOREA Definitive Guide To The Comfiest Bloody Trackie Dacks Currently Available In Australia
The best puffer jackets for women The Recycled Mother Puffer Jacket 3.0, $79.99 BY.DYLN Morris Matte Puffer, $149 Toast Society Pisces Puffer, $289In our search for the best puffers for women, we found a bunch of deliciously good choices like the Recycled Mother Puffer from Cotton On, the Matte Puffer from BY.DYLN and the royal blue Pisces Puffer from Toast Society.
The best puffer jackets for men Huffer Men's Superdown JKT, $$274.95 (usually $549.90) The North Face Aconcagua 2 Hoodie, $350 Tommy Jeans Archive Colorblock Puffer Jacket, $399Of course, we can't forget about the blokes. Our picks: a classic from North Face, this tri-colour one from Tommy Jeans and this sick Huffer one (bonus that it's on sale).
The best long-line puffer jackets Actif Studio Lane Belted Jacket, $160.30 (usually $229) RAINS Long Puffer Jacket, $700 Superdry Ripstop Longline Puffer Jacket, $149 (usually $259.95)Imagine wearing one of these on your morning commute, you'd feel like the tastiest little burrito on the train.
The best-cropped puffer jackets Glassons Recycled Puffer Jacket, $69.99 (usually $79.99) Cotton On Cropped Puffer Jacket, $69.99 STAX Cropped Puffer, $119.95If you're more of a cropped puffer princess, you'll be right at home with these choices from Glassons, Cotton On and Stax.
The best colourful puffer jackets Alo Gold Rush Puffer, $335 All About Eve Aspen Crop Puffer Jacket, $89.95 (usually $119.95) Lululemon Wunder Puff Jacket, $199 (usually $289)Spice up your all-black activewear with a colourful puff. These dreamy pastel ones from Alo, All About Eve and Lululemon are well worth your hard-earned cash.
The best vegan puffer jackets and vests Unreal Fur Phaedra Jacket, $349 Matt & Nat Dallas Women's Vegan Quilted Jacket, $340 Toast Society Atlas Vegan Leather Vest, $209For all our animal-friendly folks, there are some really good quality vegan options on the market from places like Unreal Fur, Matt & Nat and Toast Society.
The warmest puffer jacket Kathmandu Winterburn Women's 600 Fill Longline Down Coat, $599.98 Patagonia Women's Down With It Jacket, $349.95 The North Face Women's 1996 Retro Nuptse Jacket, $500Don't let the cool change in temperature keep you from sliving, wrap yourself up in one of these down jackets from Kathmandu, Patagonia and The North Face. While each of these is on the pricier side, they are jackets you'll likely have for winters to come, so when you shake out the cost per wear, it's actually pretty decent.
The best cheap puffer jackets Used Zak Puffer Jacket, $39 (usually $69.99) Supré Recycled Cropped Puffer Jacket, $40 (usually $70) Kmart Active Women's Puffer Jacket, $29Buying a puffer doesn't have to be expensive, there's a bunch of budget-friendly options to choose from including these from Used, Supré and Kmart. We also spied some cheaper alternatives at places like Glassons, Cotton On, City Beach, The Iconic and more.
The best designer puffer jackets Isabel Marant Étoile's 'Freni' Jacket, $338 (usually $845) Prada Re-Nylon detachable-sleeve jacket, $3,250 Jacquemus' Caraco Layered Ribbed-Knit And Quilted Shell Jacket, $2,555Puffer jackets are so popular at the moment that even designer brands like Prada, Jacquemus and Isabel Marant are getting involved.
The best reversible puffer jackets All Fenix Longline Reversible Puffer Jacket, $289 Lee Reversible Puffer Jacket, $249.95 All Fenix Reversible Puffer Jacket 2.0, $229If you're looking for something with a little more versatility, these reversible puffers should tick that box.
The best black puffer jackets Nike Jordan Flight Puffer Jacket, $152.99 (usually $210) Stussy Graffiti Puffer Jacket, $169.95 H&M Hooded Down Jacket, $269A black puffer is basically a wardrobe essential, so if there's one missing from your current lineup, one of these babies from Nike, Stussy or H&M should fill the gap.
The best-hooded puffer jackets Tommy Jeans TJW Curve Alaska Puffer, $199 ($399) H&M Hooded Puffer Coat, $119 Seed Hooded Puffer Jacket, $149.95We don't know about you, but we bloody love a hood, so of course, we found a few delicious cosy hooded options.
The best-oversized puffer jackets ASOS Weekend Collective Oversized Padded Coat, $152 Daisy Street Maxi Puffer Coat, $56 (usually $136) Madison The Label Jasper 3-in-1 Puffer, $210If your wardrobe is filled with oversized pieces, you're going to love these maximalist choices. That silver one is screaming our names!
The best puffer vests Ena Pelly Heidi Puffer Vest, $299 AJE Athletica Quilted Vest 751, $255 Nimble Activewear Reversible Half-Time Vest, $169Look, I know corporate finance bros may have ruined puffer vests for the rest of us, but it's time to reclaim them.
Image Credit: AJE Athletica / The North Face
