The Founder of Black Girl White Coat Starts Residency as Racial Inequity in Health Care Fuel Protests

By Sandra Coker, MD

As a recent medical school graduate anticipating the struggle of a rigorous intern year, my plans for the end of medical school pre-COVID consisted of travels to Bali and lavish stays in Caribbean villas. Those plans were quickly dashed, as were the celebrations surrounding match day and graduation.

Moving from Houston, my hometown, for the first time in the middle of a pandemic was less than ideal, but I knew I was moving with a purpose. The University of Chicago would be the grounds on which I could refine my community service passion and the launchpad of my career as an emergency medicine physician. Additionally, in light of racial unrest leading to protests and demonstrations all around Chicago, the start to this new chapter took on a whole new meaning. As a resident physician, I knew that my training would allow me to provide medical care to those in need and assist in the fight against COVID-19 as much as a physician could. As important to me was the chance to address the state of my people, the Black communities that were in their own state of crisis.

I founded Black Girl White Coat in 2016 aiming to motivate and inspire while providing mentorship and scholarship to underrepresented students pursuing careers in healthcare. Now, more than ever, this mission seems paramount. Our success is our victory. Our success is how we fight back. BGWC looks to increase our representation in clinics, hospitals, and institutions of higher education. There is a lot of work to be done to level the playing field for minorities in medicine, but we continue to do our best to lift as we climb and create opportunities and safe spaces for the next generation of health care professionals. As we grow into our role as a fully functional and thriving nonprofit organization, we hope to continue to make a lasting impact in the lives of Black health care professional students far and near.

With ambitious dreams and lofty goals comes an increased workload and never-ending demands. We are dedicating the remainder of 2020 to increasing our scholarship efforts and expanding our Mentorship Program. In the coming year, we will focus on expanding our team and solidifying our leadership. There is a huge need to have more diligent and passionate individuals on board, and we hope to advertise this need to the public while also scouting for specific individuals with similar interests. Black Girl White Coat will continue to serve the underrepresented and traditionally excluded. We are particularly excited about focusing on our Mentorship Program, which is gearing up for its second go-round and our 3rd Annual Representation Matters scholarship. We hope to continue to fight for bigger and better opportunities for the next generation of Black healthcare professionals, and with continued support from the public, I know we can continue to use our success as our weapon.