Location: Fry 235
Meeting Called by: Pre- Optometry Club
Guest Speaker: Dr. Delgado- Nixon
Minutes taken by: Haley Schroeder
Agenda
- Attendance was taken via QR code
Dr. Delgado- Nixon (delgado-nixon.1@osu.edu)
- Discussed OSU’s I- DOC program (Improving Diversity in Optometric Careers)
- She gave a wonderful presentation about how “Racism Affects All of of Us”, with a specific emphasis on how it affects the healthcare profession
- She gave a great introduction about her identities and how it has affected her journey to a career teaching at The Ohio State University College of Optometry
- For example, we have to ask ourselves
- How are we doing?
- How do we hold space?
- Consider your identities
- Dr. Delgado- Nixon proudly shared her identities, culture, and upbringing as a Hispanic and Native American, cis- gender woman
- There was an emphasis that we are all equally valuable
- She often starts meetings and gatherings reflecting on those who came before us
Franklin County Board of Health Declared Racism a Public Health Crisis in May of 2020
- Racism causes higher rates of homelessness, health disparities, incarceration, poor education, and economic hardship
- Areas declared racism across Franklin County, Ohio
- Westerville, The City of Columbus, Columbus Public Health, City of Whitewall, Franklin County Board of Commissioners, City of Upper Arlington
- The club was educated on the fact that race was invented by scientists such as Linnaeus (1707- 1778) and Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (1795)
- Older theories were debunked by the human genome project that further elaborated that there is no genetic variation between races
Social Determinants of Health
- Social determinants of health can play a factor in citizen’s:
- safe affordable housing
- living wages
- quality education
- transportation
- availability of food
- social connection and safety
- job security
- We had a brief history lesson as well refreshing our understanding of The New Deal excluding Black Americans due to Jim Crow, including the physical environment and housing
- There are still patterns of disparity in today’s neighborhoods
Cost to Education
- The cost of education for tuition and fees for a four- year college has risen by 8 times from 1979- 2019
- Loss of Pell Grants
- In 2016 states spent more on jails and prisons than colleges and universities
QUESTIONS for Dr. Delgado- Nixon:
How are these factors playing a role within Optometry?
- When asked this question, Dr. Delgado- Nixon elaborated on those who were under- corrected and uncorrected in which the primary factor was race/ ethnicity
- Secondary factors included age, gender, annuals household income, education, insurance, type of refractive error (2008 National Health and Nutrition Survey)
How to apply to I-DOC?
- Club members shared their previous experience with the program and positive feedback!
- Consider applying for I-DOC for 2022!
- Continue to check their website for updates on next year’s event dates and application!
What do you look for in an a competitive applicant?
- Dr. Delgado- Nixon elaborated on how GPA and OAT scores are a factor
- What she looks for is a well written essay and memorable story behind WHY Optometry besides the basics of the profession
How is The College of Optometry at Ohio State upholding inclusivity?
- Buckeye Launch
- Create a community to learn before classes start for teams
- Social Eyes
- She takes about 8-9 students to do fun things to socialize and get to know each other and to have inclusivity for everyone!
- Faculty Training on Bias in the Workplace/ Classroom
- There are more female optometrists and there can be more bias or micro-aggressions against women and the faculty undergo training on how to respond in these situations
- Celebrating each other’s cultures!
- For example, OSU College of Optometry Hispanic Day is coming up and they are planning a fiesta!
- Only College of Optometry that requires all of their students to rotate through a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC)
- Involves free clinics for homeless people to provide care, compassion, and inclusivity for everyone