 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| The 3000 by 2000 Program and the McNair Program are both for minority and underrepresented youth who are in college. The 3000 by 2000 Program is for students who are African American, Native American, Mexican American, Puerto Rican, or Hispanic, and intend on going into the medical, dental, veterinarian, or any other allied health graduate school. The McNair Program is for minority, low income, first generation college, or any other underrepresented student who intends to pursue a doctorate level degree especially in the sciences. The McNair Program is named for Dr. Ronald McNair, who was the second African American astronaut to travel in space. Professor James Donady is the director of both of these programs at Wesleyan University. These programs both have lofty goals, which will take time to come to full fruition. | 
Professor James Donady on an outing with the McNair Fellows |
| Both of these programs will and have increased minority representation in the sciences. More diversity in the science profession sounds like a noble cause, but there are deeper reasons why diversity in the sciences is necessary. First, in the health professions the need for diversity is not necessary just because it is a noble cause, but because of the human element of the medical profession. The one on one contact with the patient is the prime reason for the need to have doctors from all backgrounds and ethnicities. This is where 3000 by 2000 comes in. 3000 by 2000 seems to be one of the few programs to actually set out with a very tangible goal, which in Professor Donadyís words, ìÖ I believe it is researched in reference to national population numbers in terms of different ethnic [and] racial groups with that proportion [3000] beingÖ [a] divisor for a ration on seats in medical schools and other professions.î So 3000 by 2000 hoped to have an average matriculation of about 3000 minority students into medical and other allied health schools by the year 2000. Unfortunately this goal was not full attained; the number is around half of the goal. In this shortfall, success still lies. The 3000 by 2000 program has had its greatest success reaching out to Latino students. |
| Again, 3000 by 2000 is not a noble cause just because it may facilitate a rise in minority doctors, but also because it could help improve the health profession. For instance, sometimes patients feel more comfortable explaining their symptoms to someone who may look more like them, just out of comfort. Professor Donady poses an interesting premise when he says, ìWhy would some of the minorities in the Unites States not trust doctors? All they have to know is a little bit of history like the Tuskegee trialsÖî The idea of trust and comfort can be a sizable obstacle when trying to treat a patient, so a minority doctor may be able to bridge the gap. The main mission of the health profession is to help heal people, and anything that can further this mission should be done. Doctors and other health professionals have to read between the lines, and sometime people of the same ethnicity may be able to express things that are unspoken that can benefit the patient greatly. |
1997 - 3000 by 2000 Program Participants |
The same analogy that I have covered earlier includes me as an example since I am African American. I have had for the most part 2 primary physicians for my whole life. The first primary physician I had for the first half of my life was Caucasian, and I had a great experience with him. My current physician is African American, and I have also had a great experience. What has made my latter experience more beneficial for me medically is the fact that my physician is African American and most of his patients are primarily African American. You may be asking yourself, ìSo what?î The fact that he is African American and that most of his patients are African Americans gives him more of an ability to recognize common medical occurrences in African American patients. For instance, the sensitivity of skin of some African American children, me included. My doctor noticed my skin sensitivity in relation to that of other African American patients, so he may already have a head start on treatment. This type of example can lead over into science research. |
| One major thing that both of these programs do, is change the face of science as it relates to our population as a whole. These programs will help to make the faces of science more representative of society as a whole. The McNair Program especially, could help change the face of science research. It can be easily assumed that people may be more apt to research something that may affect them or people like them. A program like McNair will help produce more minority scientists, which could help make scientific research more inclusive. The lack of racial diversity in science research can be easily depicted in the government's need to mandate the use of minorities and women in research funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH). Guidelines had to be created because a vast amount of NIH funded research was done on mainly Caucasian males. As many folks know, all people are not the same, and that is why women and minority subjects should be included in more scientific experiments. This situation reeks of the same thing that Sigmund Freud did when he only did research on males and said the same psychological results were the same for women. Mary Foulkes, who is an AIDS trials expert at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, feels, ìchange is painful [,but] in the long run, this one will be good for everyone.î In the same of spirit of this change by the government, The McNair Program may help produce more scientists who will do scientific research that may greatly affect minorities like sickle cell research for example. Professor Donady also states, ìI think it is a really important issue that the best individuals to carry on the research may be within the group.î This premise in my opinion seems logical because those with a vested interest would seem to bring extra zeal to the lab every day in order to find a cure or some kind of breakthrough. |
 |
| These two programs, 3000 by 2000 and McNair, both will help change the face of science in both research and patient care. The necessity for diversity in the sciences goes far beyond superficial reasons because in the case of doctors, communication is key, so anything that may make a segment of patients feel more comfortable in revealing symptoms can only be beneficial. In the case of scientific research, scientists from different ethnic backgrounds can help to bring a new perspective to science and may delve into areas of research that can better serve the minority community. Another aggregate of these two programs which is just as great as the scientific side is the fact that McNair and 3000 by 2000 are creating more minority mentors and leaders in the sciences which will help lead to a domino effect. That domino effect will be the effect of reaching back and urging more minorities to pursue fields in the sciences. |