Public Engagement

The Fall 2006 of Medical Bulletin, a publication of the Minnesota Medical Foundation that profiles activities in the University of Minnesota Medical School, has an important article "Preserving a critical pathway" about the Medical School's efforts to save the Center for American Indian and Minority Health (CAIMH).

The Center has graduated more American Indian physicians than all but one other US medical school: 123 over the past 30 years, which is more than 7% of all American Indian physicians practicing in the US. Further, more than half of them serve American Indian communities. Despite this successful record, CAIMH lost 83% of its budget when its federal funding ended September 1.

According to its web site

University of Minnesota Center of American Indian and Minority Health (CAIMH) strives to raise the health status of the Native American population by educating Native American students in the field of health care and Indian health. CAIMH provides support to Native American students to attain their medical degree, with many returning to their communities to deliver culturally sensitive health care to their own people.

The Indian Health Pathway was developed by CAIMH to support American Indian pre-health professions students and medical school students throughout all stages of their education. The IHP stresses the importance of allowing each American Indian student to retain unique qualities and belief systems that are the essence of being American Indian while progressing through the education system.

The Indian Health Pathway is grounded at the K-12 level and continues through undergraduate to medical school and a fellowship program.

All stages of the Indian Health Pathway include activities in academic monitoring, cultural competence, experiential/service learning, research, and professional development.

This pathway through the full educational career has led to much higher rates of high school graduation and college attendance for those who participate compared to those who don't, not to mention the subsequent high rate of enrollment in medical school.

Training American Indian physicians is important not only to the trainees, but even more so to the communities that they return to serve. High rates of mortality and morbidity are endemic in American Indian communities, in large measure because medical care is scarce. Under these circumstances, it is hard to understand why the federal Title VII program that supported the four National Centers of Excellence devoted to American Indian education had its funding eliminated by the Government Accounting Office. As so often happens, those who have least are cut the most, damaging both their own lives and America's vision of a just and equitable society.