As the Black population in Canada continues to grow and diversify, students and educators say systemic barriers and a lack of Black representation in medicine are contributing widely to inequality.
Believing this exacerbates health disparities, schools like the University of Toronto have attempted to create new initiatives aimed at closing the widening gaps in the medical community.
Faramola Olawale, a psychology student at the University of Toronto, says these obstacles begin with access.
She argues that knowledge regarding medical pathways is “locked away” due to systemic barriers and that STEM-oriented fields are more frequently reserved for wealthy students or those with family ties in the healthcare professions.
Olawale said at the Black Physicians of Ontario conference in October in Toronto, the process is “long, tedious, and expensive,” and that it is structured in a way that can prevent Black people and other minorities from participating in research projects that can address the medical challenges that their communities face.
Olawale believes that distinctions in region and lifestyle are often neglected in care, as most medical researchers rely on WEIRD: Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic patients, who don’t reflect global communities.
Alya Niang of the Canadian Institute for Health Information said there is “long-standing discrimination in the health care system, fuelled by racism, ignorance and a sad history of neglecting Black Canadians and their health care needs.”
Such inequalities are also addressed by the Canadian government, proving that the absence and low representation in these institutionalized spaces are a costly detriment to how Black Canadians are treated in the medical field.
These limitations are reflected in outcomes within Black populations, such as cardiovascular disease and strokes, which are patterns that were more recently recorded as Black researchers entered the field.
Their concern is supported by research studies from the Black Health Alliance, which demonstrate that the increase in risk factors for cardiovascular diseases includes obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and chronic stress.
For students like Olawale, these programs offer access to research settings that have previously excluded Black voices, providing opportunities to examine health concerns that disproportionately affect their communities.
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Deandra Romain, a program coordinator and research assistant at the Toronto-based Healthcaring Differently, said in email responses to questions that there remains a lack of precise guidelines on racial disparities in medical education.
Heathcaring Differently seeks to inspire diverse students to pursue careers in health care.
She says many students remain unaware of the necessary processes because “unless students know a doctor or someone in their desired profession personally, they are often uncertain of the required steps to take to get accepted to a medical program or STEM program.”
However, these gaps in knowledge reflect the deeper understanding that an increase in Black presence is still vital for improving the delivery of healthcare to minorities, Romain said.
This can be shown by assisting Black students in making educational research programs and mentorship, more accessible when needed, “to ensure equity in healthcare delivery and statistics about the Black community,” she says.
“It also fosters trustworthiness and connection for the Black community that’s inherent in having a physician with a similar heritage. That is something commonly unspoken, which is often taken for granted, yet very important,” Romain said.
This enables Black individuals to “have opportunities that support their needs, eg, more financial support, info webinars about the pathway to healthcare/ STEM education,” she said in the email.
Yet, despite these efforts, students and educators believe structural problems remain deeply embedded.
Health inequities remain one of the most pressing global challenges, deeply rooted in socio-economic, environmental, and technological factors, according to the National Library of Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S.
"These disparities, historically influenced by colonial legacies and socio-economic inequality, persist into the present," it said.
These findings echo what Black educators and students have reiterated in terms of healthcare urgency, understanding that despite Canada’s growing diversity, problems persist in several systems.
For students like Olawale, the University of Toronto’s initiatives are a crucial start, with the process beginning with recognition.
“The only thing that we can ask for is consideration, and an understanding that we matter, too," she said. "The things that affect us matter, and they’re worth looking into and understanding how the differences in our communities matter.”
