Questions about Medically Underserved Areas

[theWUbear]

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The following is the site to look up medically underserved areas (MUAs):

http://muafind.hrsa.gov/

I am confused as to the results of the search. Specifically, I want to know if Newark, New Jersey is an MUA. I select New Jersey as the state, essex county as the county, and click search, and it provides me with a bunch of "essex county service area" codes. I have no idea if one of them codes for Newark.

My second question assumes that Newark is a medically underserved area. I have done clinical research in the Infectious disease division of the University Hospital in Newark for three years, and I feel that my work directly dealing with the HIV patients in that area is indicative of my passion for working in the Newark community - a minority community which (I assume for the sake of this argument) is underserved.

The mission statement of Meharry Medical College states that it "exists to improve the health and health care of minority and underserved communities"

The mission statement of Howard University School of Medicine states that it provides "training [to] students to become competent and compassionate physicians who provide health care in medically underserved communities".

I am not a URM, but I did see that there were 10 Indian Americans in one of the last classes at Howard (from MSAR). If Newark is an underserved community and I can prove my commitment to continuing work in that community as a practitioner, how would that affect my application to the above schools - and to medical schools in general? Thank you for your advising.

 

[NotSur]

i don't think the area matters as much as your own particular situation. my area technically shows up as underserved but i don't think i was underserved relative to your average american. and i don't think they're going to count my area as underserved anyway.

 

[theWUbear]

Not sure if this is frowned upon on SDN (if so I apologize), but I am bumping this in case someone who hasn't already seen it would be able to determine if Newark is an MUA, and if it means something if someone is able to demonstrate that they have a passion for working in an MUA when applications are considered.

 

[CupcakeMD]

I cannot tell you whether Newark is underserved or not based on the website, but I personally don't think you need a website to tell you that. Is there a lack of health care accessibility in that area? Are the clinics and hospitals where you work underresourced? Do patients lack basic health care? Hopefully you can answer those questions by your experiences in that area/interactions with physicians/conversations with patients. If "yes," then most likely it is an underserved area.

To answer your second question, if you can prove that you have a commitment to help underserved communities in the future, I believe it will better your chances for those schools.

 

[Qtchic1118]

is Newark NJ an underserved area?? YES. YES. YES. Go visit, and you will know.

 

[PinkIvy08]

is Newark NJ an underserved area?? YES. YES. YES. Go visit, and you will know.

^^^^

While Newark is a "rough," I'm not 100% sure it's considered medically underserved - there are a ton of hospitals in the area.

Either way (and this is just my opinion), I think that your HIV research in a very urban environment should be indicative enough of a commitment to serving the underserved (regardless of whether the area is officially deemed underserved).

Personally, I think you stand a good shot...these schools really aren't looking for skin color, but a commitment to their mission statement, and from the brief history you provided us, I'd say you're right on-target.

Just curious, have you done any type of outreach into these communities (i.e. clinic volunteering, mentoring, etc)? It might help strengthen your case. But, I think you're good anyways.

Best wishes!