Abstract
The single mission of academic medicine is the pursuit of health for all. This mandate serves as a reminder to focus care on vulnerable and underserved populations. The 12 million Americans who cycle through correctional facilities each year are arguably among the most vulnerable populations in this country; predominantly black, with a high burden of disease and many barriers to care after release. Medical training programs should provide exposure to the health needs of prisoners. Residents could establish care with inmates prior to release and arrange follow-up in the community. This addition to training would not only provide care to this underserved group, but also would train residents in the myriad problems prisoners face, and foster social responsibility.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by grant number 1K24DA022112-01A from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
(NIDA/NIH) to Dr Rich and by grant number P30-AI-42853 from the National
Institutes of Health, Center for AIDS Research (NIH/CFAR), and by grant number P30DA013868 from the NIDA funded Center for Drug Abuse and AIDS Research (CDAAR). We would like to thank Dr. Charles C. J. Carpenter for his ongoing inspiration, mentorship and careful review of this manuscript.
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Wakeman, S.E., Rich, J.D. Fulfilling the Mission of Academic Medicine: Training Residents in the Health Needs of Prisoners. J GEN INTERN MED 25 (Suppl 2), 186–188 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-010-1258-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-010-1258-4