Note: This study focused on health outcomes in instances of perceived equitable care. It's scope, however, did not address obstacles around access to care nor did it measure the quality of health services provided to Black patients. RUSM is committed to training physicians who will provide equitable, comprehensive care to all and we invite discussion on this topic in an upcoming forum.

Congratulations to third-year and fourth-year Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) students Robert Coakley and Alysson Klein, who co-authored Racial disparities in COVID-19 hospitalizations do not lead to disparities in outcomes in ScienceDirect, a professional source for medical and scientific publications.  

The study, which observed 799 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 at Michigan hospitals, found that Black patients were disproportionately hospitalized for COVID-19, due in part to their higher incidences of diabetes and obesity. However, the research also showed that Black patients did not suffer worse health outcomes compared to white patients when they were provided with the same standardized care.

“It was a great way to deepen our understanding of social determinants of health and the racial disparities we were seeing in our community with COVID-19 hospitalizations.” said Klein, an aspiring family medicine physician, who completed his clinical core rotations at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital in Michigan.

Alysson Klein

 

Coakley, who spent hours data mining, found the research component invaluable. “[Being] able to participate in a big project helped me realize how much of an impact new findings have on how we treat people. But more importantly, how these findings help improve the lives of all patients across the world.”   

 

Robert Coakley

 

 

In 2020, 91% of RUSM students passed the initial step of the United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE®) on the first attempt. And in 2022-2023, results show yet another strong year for RUSM with a 97% first-time residency attainment rate* thus far. Located on the island of Barbados and with a network of more than 15,000 alumni, RUSM is one of the largest providers of doctors for the U.S. healthcare system. RUSM graduates practice in all 50 states and in Puerto Rico.

*First time residency attainment rate is the percent of students attaining a 2023-24 residency position out of all graduates or expected graduates in 2022-23 who were active applicants in the 2023 NRMP match or who attained a residency position outside the NRMP match.