‘Hip Hop Doc’ Breaks Down Medical Careers at UA’s Rural Health Care Minority Summit

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Family physician and author Dr. Rani G. Whitfield of television’s “Hip Hop Doc” will give the keynote address at the first Rural Health Care Minority Summit on Saturday,  Jan. 22, at The University of Alabama.

Whitfield is known for his appearances on CNN, BET’s “106th and Park,” iVillage and other national talk and news shows. He uses rap music to educate young people about health. His home and his practice are in his native Baton Rouge, La.

The Rural Health Care Minority Summit, titled “The Pact: Making a Promise, Fulfilling a Dream,” is hosted by UA’s College of Community Health Sciences, which is also the Tuscaloosa branch campus of The University of Alabama School of Medicine, in conjunction with the Student National Medical Association.

The goal of the summit is to increase student awareness of the need for minority physicians to practice in rural Alabama. The summit, which is open to both high school and college students, will provide education and networking opportunities for students through a broad spectrum of leaders in rural health, including health care professionals, researchers and community leaders.

Registration, which includes lunch, is $10. The summit will be at the Ferguson Center on the UA Campus. For registration information, phone 205/348-5892 or send an e-mail to cmoore@cchs.ua.edu.

“Statistics and our own experience show that rural students are more likely than others to live and work in rural areas after they complete high school,” said Cynthia More, co-founder and director of UA’s Rural Health Scholars and Rural Minority Health Scholars programs, which guide students from rural Alabama into health careers.

“Many students in Alabama’s rural communities have not thought about entering medicine or health care professions because there are so few role models with whom they can identify, locally. This conference gives them a chance to meet and hear from minority health professionals who can serve as mentors.”

Whitfield said when he used to DJ parties in high school and college he realized “how effective music was in bringing people together.” Now, as Tha’ Hip Hop Doc, he uses music, particularly rap, to educate youths about health issues.

“Too many young people are dying of preventable and treatable illnesses like diabetes, HIV/AIDS and high blood pressure,” Whitfield said.

Other speakers at the summit include Dr. Vincent Bivins, a urologist in private practice in Birmingham; Dr. Dana Todd, a resident in the Tuscaloosa Family Medicine Residency; and Dr. Keisha Lowther, a physician at Maude Whatley Clinic in Eutaw. They will speak about support systems that helped them get into and through medical school and that helped them become successful practitioners.

In addition, Dr. John Brandon, medical director of the UA Rural Medical Scholars Program, will provide an overview of programs at UA, including the College’s Rural Medical Scholars Program and the Auburn University-University of Alabama at Huntsville Rural Medicine Program. Dr. Wil Baker will describe how students can receive medical training through osteopathic medicine programs in Alabama.

The summit will also feature the following breakout sessions: “So You Want to Go to College?”; “How to Bounce Back from a Set Back”; “How to Prepare for a Career in Health”; and “Professional Life Preparation 101.”

“We are delighted to sponsor the summit,” said Dr. Pamela Payne Foster, assistant professor in the College’s department of community and rural medicine and deputy director of its Institute for Rural Health Research.

“There is a shortage of physicians who will practice in rural Alabama, and an even greater shortage of minority physicians who will serve in areas of the state like the Black Belt. We hope that the summit will inspire students to consider this option, as well as give them the tools to get into and get through health professional school.”