Many American Indian and Alaska Native students struggle academically in medical school, which may put them at a disadvantage when applying to residency programs, noted Socia Love-Thurman, MD, who directs the Seattle Indian Health Board’s residency program, a satellite of the Swedish Family Medicine Residency at Cherry Hill.
“We see it as a strength if people have had to take tests multiple times and they succeeded and passed the test,” said Love-Thurman, a Cherokee Nation citizen who also identifies as Delaware and Yuchi. “It shows that they have strength and resiliency and that’s a factor that we look for.”
As 1 of the Urban Indian Health centers that serve the 70% of American Indian and Alaska Native people who live in urban areas, the residency program emphasizes preparing its trainees to provide culturally sensitive care to the many Pacific Northwest and Native Alaskan tribes that predominate the area. Love-Thurman noted that half of the program’s graduates to date have gone on to serve in Indian Health Service, tribal, or Urban Indian Health centers, and 75% have served underserved populations.