I’m excited to share a mid-summer update on my research project. My time, thus far, has been spent reading papers, attending meetings, and finishing my interview training/orientation. Each week, my mentor sends out a few articles surrounding Black maternal health and racial disparities within women’s health. I have come to rely on these interesting articles to gain a more in-depth understanding of these issues. For example, one of the articles focused on the reproductive health of U.S.-born Black women. In the article, Black women were interviewed about their experiences with healthcare providers as well as their opinions on the healthcare system. While I knew about a few of the issues presented – criminalization, provider implicit biases, and lack of patient-centered care – it was fascinating to read the quotes from these women about their experiences. It fueled my already present passion for this subject.
A large part of my time has been spent on interview training. Another undergraduate and I have attended a few training sessions, where we have reviewed and practiced the interview guide, the consent document, etc. The goal is to get us prepared enough to interview a vulnerable population – patients of color, whose newborns were drug screened at Michigan Medicine. As of right now, I have my first interview scheduled in a couple of weeks. While I am nervous, I’m also very excited to use all that I’ve learned during the training sessions. Additionally, my mentor plans on having me join in on the coding process of her previous interviews. Since I have never coded before, I’m excited to learn more about it.
As an Afro-Caribbean woman, I’m thrilled to be a part of this research project. This project’s ultimate aim is to eliminate racial disparities within the medical care model. By listening to the birthing experiences of these Black mothers, my mentors hope to use these responses to revamp Michigan Medicine’s newborn drug screening model. This project provides a voice for people who are routinely ignored by the medical system.