An educated medical workforce: Key to achieving health equity 

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Mr. Gabriel Biroki, a fifth-year medical student at the, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Cameroon. He is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and do not necessarily reflect IFMSA’s view on the topic, nor The European Sting’s one.

Health equity, which indicates the absence of avoidable, unfair or remediable differences in health among groups of people, is a fundamental component of social justice and a major global health goal. Achieving this goal requires adequate training and education of the medical workforce – including medical students and physicians – on health inequities and disparities, and their remedies. An educated medical workforce is key to ensuring equity in health care access for all groups of people, particularly the marginalized and underserved. 

Modern medical education must go beyond clinical skills to address social determinants of health, cultural competence, and health disparities. Medical education must evolve to include these topics early in training and reinforce them throughout professional development. Educating healthcare providers on these topics will foster empathy, which is paramount in delivering patient-centered care across different contexts, and promote a more holistic approach to patient care.

Additionally, giving healthcare providers an idea of the communities where they will practice can increase awareness of the challenges faced by those populations and promote empathy, making them equipped to meet the health needs of those populations. 

Beyond that, more physicians need to take up the commitment of self-education on issues pertaining to health inequities and principles of health equity. This will enable them to establish a safe space for patients of all backgrounds, and properly advocate for or make policies that discourage discrimination and encourage fairness in the health system. Doctors, being leaders in the health sector have the duty of using their influence to promote the health outcomes of their patients. 

Finally, lifelong learning is indispensable; consequently, continuing professional development must emphasize health equity and bias mitigation to ensure that healthcare providers remain equipped to serve diverse populations throughout their careers. 

In conclusion, a well-educated workforce is one of the most powerful tools in the fight for health equity. By transforming how and whom we educate, we can cultivate a healthcare system that is equitable and just. Efforts and investments in medical education and lifelong learning for health providers must remain a priority, to ensure a continual fairness in healthcare delivery.

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4. FitzGerald, C., Martin, A., Berner, D., & Hurst, S. (2019). Interventions designed to reduce implicit prejudices and implicit stereotypes in real-world contexts: A systematic review. BMC Psychology, 7(1), 29.

5. Burch, M. P., Kloos, B., & Mendez, B. (2017). Health Equity: The Role of Medical Education. *Journal of Medical Education and Curricular Development*, 4, 1-6.

6. Berkowitz, S. A. (2016). The Social Determinants of Health: An Overview. *American Journal of Public Health*, 106(12), 2124-2125.

About the author

Gabriel Biroki is a fifth-year medical student at the, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea, Cameroon. He is passionate about medical education and research. He served as the Director of the Standing Committee on Research Exchange 2023/2024 under the Cameroon Medical Students’ Association (CAMSA), affiliated with IFMSA. His desire is to inspire his peers and juniors towards leadership and impact, while he pursues greater impact in the field of medicine. 

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