Dr. Miguel Ruiz

where I think it's very important to realize from the get-go that we will never be able to really understand a different culture and community to ours to the degree that we are competent. Of course, absolutely, one has to study, learn, talk to the community, really get as much knowledge and understanding of that group of people

where I think it's very important to realize from the get-go that we will never be able to really understand a different culture and community to ours to the degree that we are competent. Of course, absolutely, one has to study, learn, talk to the community, really get as much knowledge and understanding of that group of people

But I think with the humble approach of always going with the desire to know more, to have a healthy curiosity, seeking to understand before we try to be understood by them. And I think that's something that we as healthcare providers need to have very clear. We need to really understand.

But I think with the humble approach of always going with the desire to know more, to have a healthy curiosity, seeking to understand before we try to be understood by them. And I think that's something that we as healthcare providers need to have very clear. We need to really understand.

put our ideas and our best ways in the back burner and become students of our patients and declare, I don't know, I need to know, I want to know, help me know what matters most to you, what's most important to you, how do you think, why do you think you are sick? What do you think is causing this problem?

put our ideas and our best ways in the back burner and become students of our patients and declare, I don't know, I need to know, I want to know, help me know what matters most to you, what's most important to you, how do you think, why do you think you are sick? What do you think is causing this problem?

really trying to get into the narrative that they are living in so that you can, from there, start to develop some approaches to helping them. And of course, also to always be conscious about the healthcare, the power differentials. The fact that many individuals who maybe may have a low English proficiency and thinking about the community and more familiar with the Hispanic Latino community,

really trying to get into the narrative that they are living in so that you can, from there, start to develop some approaches to helping them. And of course, also to always be conscious about the healthcare, the power differentials. The fact that many individuals who maybe may have a low English proficiency and thinking about the community and more familiar with the Hispanic Latino community,

there is this huge differential between providers and patients that we need to really be very creative about thinking, how do I equalize this encounter in a way that I'm going to be able to connect with this patient so that I can understand how to better help them as opposed to just trying to think that I am the one who knows how things should be done.

there is this huge differential between providers and patients that we need to really be very creative about thinking, how do I equalize this encounter in a way that I'm going to be able to connect with this patient so that I can understand how to better help them as opposed to just trying to think that I am the one who knows how things should be done.

Yes. If I may say something about that, you're right. And yes, we don't have enough BIPOC providers to care for our BIPOC communities. And unfortunately, recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine, again, in the last 40 years, the number of black doctors, male black doctors in the US, not only has not increased at all, but has gone down slightly. 40 years.

Yes. If I may say something about that, you're right. And yes, we don't have enough BIPOC providers to care for our BIPOC communities. And unfortunately, recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine, again, in the last 40 years, the number of black doctors, male black doctors in the US, not only has not increased at all, but has gone down slightly. 40 years.

So studies, I just read a recent study which showed that if Black patients were cared for by Black doctors, they estimate the disparity in outcomes, the health of cardiovascular outcomes, the disparity will decrease by 19%, by 20%.

So studies, I just read a recent study which showed that if Black patients were cared for by Black doctors, they estimate the disparity in outcomes, the health of cardiovascular outcomes, the disparity will decrease by 19%, by 20%.

The reality is we don't have enough BIPOC providers, but the reality is we need to do, that's one of the many things we need to do, is we need to advocate for more physicians of color coming into medical school, especially from those communities that are the most underrepresented, the black community being one of them.

The reality is we don't have enough BIPOC providers, but the reality is we need to do, that's one of the many things we need to do, is we need to advocate for more physicians of color coming into medical school, especially from those communities that are the most underrepresented, the black community being one of them.

So that is something at the level of policy and at the level of advocacy that we need to advocate for, because most people prefer to be cared for by a provider who looks like them, who may have a better understanding of their culture, or who may speak their language.

So that is something at the level of policy and at the level of advocacy that we need to advocate for, because most people prefer to be cared for by a provider who looks like them, who may have a better understanding of their culture, or who may speak their language.

It's an issue of trust. There is something there about, I see you, I think you can understand me because I see you from a similar background. But you are right, Clarence, that that is not the only solution because that's going to be an impossible target.

It's an issue of trust. There is something there about, I see you, I think you can understand me because I see you from a similar background. But you are right, Clarence, that that is not the only solution because that's going to be an impossible target.