Meeting Minutes 10/13/2021

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! 

https://u.osu.edu/idoc/

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