Diversifying the Health Education Workforce through the Recruitment of Under Represented Minorities

Abstract

Healthcare disparities in the U.S. result in poor health outcomes for a growing number of ethnic minorities, and it is clear that proactive strategies are required of the Public Health community, including the field of healt education. According to the Institute of Medicine, diversifying the healthcare workforce is essential to the elimination of health disparities. In a 2001 report, the Institute of Medicine recommends diversifying the healthcare workforce through “the development of intervention programs that emphasize more systematic, integrated strategies to ensure a continuous flow of minority students qualified to choose careers in the health professions” (Institute of Medicine, 2001). The need to diversify the health professions is evidenced by a nationwide shortage of underrepresented minorities (URM, a group composed of Hispanics, African Americans, and Native Americans) working in the fields of medicine and allied health or enrolled in related post-secondary programs (Lewin & Rice, 1994, Mitchell, 2005). <p>A health education recruitment workshop was designed to be used as a tool for raising awareness about the field of health education and actively recruiting minority students into college-level health education programs. The workshop utilized methods of social marketing and the social cognitive theory to motivate students to pursue a degree in health education by addressing benefits and barriers, behavioral capability, and modeling. The objectives of the presentation were to inform students of aspects of health education including roles and responsibilities, educational requirements, employment outlook, how health education benefits the community, and the significance of diversity in the healthcare workforce. The workshop was implemented on Saturday, November 18, 2006 at the University of Michigan. Nine 11th grade students participated in the workshop. Pre and post test results indicated that the objectives of the workshop were met. It is recommended that health educators take active steps in recruiting diverse students into the field of health education by implementing similar workshops.