Resources

The Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists recognizes the role of scholarly work in amplifying the calls of concern regarding health inequities in the Black community through the larger academic community, and in sharing thoughts on solutions towards the same.  Included here are recent publications from ABGH on these topics.

ABGH was born out of a need to better the digestive health of Black communities. Disparities across the continuum of digestive health care — be they within chronic conditions like inflammatory bowel diseases, fatty liver disease, and others, and similarly with most gastrointestinal cancers — have persistently led to suboptimal outcomes for Black patients. We are here to work collaboratively with others in the field who are also invigorated to change this reality.

Here are some resources spotlighting health disparities within the field of gastroenterology and hepatology and strategies to help Black communities, whose members experience some of the worst health outcomes and mortality, achieve their highest health potential.

Representation matters. Diversity in the medical workforce has been shown to improve access to care for marginalized communities and positively influence healthcare delivery, patient outcomes, and public policy. But without greater inclusion of Black health care providers and scientists in the field of digestive diseases, we are limited in how far we can move forward in the journey to health equity.

Data from the American Academy of Medical Colleges (AAMC) shows that in 2018, only 4% of practicing gastroenterologists identified as African- American/Black.

Here are some resources focusing on ways that individuals and institutions can lead efforts to integrate inclusivity and equity in the workforce to ultimately benefit Black patients and the communities in which they live.

The journey to a career in gastrointestinal and liver diseases is a long road, and we are here to help trainees at all stages of this journey to succeed. Providing tailored tools to success, particularly for underrepresented minorities in medicine (URiMs) that are even less represented in subspeciality and procedural fields like gastroenterology and hepatology, brings us closer to our shared goal of providing the best care for the patients we serve.

Here are some resources to help strengthen your skill set and knowledge about tips and tricks that will help propel your career as you advance in your medical training. These resources include organizations for URiM trainees along with research programs from different medical societies.