Physician Training Key in Reducing Health Disparties

Racial and ethnic minorities often receive lower quality health care compared to whites, even after controlling for socioeconomic status, education, access and other factors, according to the report from lead author Wally R. Smith, M.D., professor of medicine and medical director of the Center on Health Disparities at Virginia Commonwealth University. Smith and eight other experts who authored the report originally were brought together by the Society of General Internal Medicine to develop recommendations for training in internal medicine. But their completed report is aimed at all medical students, resident trainees and physicians.