On June 24, the National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) Black Naturopathic Medical Student Association (BNMSA) hosted the second in a series of student-led discussions addressing whether medical norms and statistics are harming the health care of people of color.

“We have to ask if doctors are giving us care based on statistics or what we need,” noted BNMSA Secretary Tina Barrett. The organization hopes that the series will spark discussion within the NUHS community.

“Statistics shape the perception of people of color,” commented one audience member, “Especially if used on social media.” Participants in the program raised concerns that statistical data doesn’t always reflect the diversity of people of color, since they primarily focus only on African-American and Hispanic populations.

The program series was created to provide students with an opportunity to go beyond classroom statistical discussions. A third program is being considered to continue the conversations addressing how students feel about the way that medical statistics are presented, how the statistics influence health care and how individual health care providers care for people of color.