and accomplishments are questioned. There is an everpresent awareness of bias against your gender or race and resultant internal and external pressure to work harder in order to disprove harmful tropes. This awareness may affect performance or be the driver of overcompensation in order to be taken seriously. This is especially prevalent in professional environments where there is little to no representation or mentorship. Where is the safe space or person to help challenge and reframe these narratives? How does one navigate the complexities of self-doubt vs. being made to feel as if your identity deems you insufficient to warrant your accomplishments and title? As mentioned prior, Dr. Baiden believes that family medicine is the backbone of medicine and a needed sounding board of community advocacy and population health. Fewer medical students are choosing family medicine and experienced physicians are retiring early. This shortage of family medicine physicians means limited access to care, worse health outcomes, and a less efficient healthcare system. This disproportionately affects marginalized communities. How do we address this silent and looming public health crisis? Dr. Baiden believes that legislative, payer, and academic bodies should recognize the rising expectations, administrative burden, and limited resources many FM physicians experience and increase support of FM physicians financially and beyond. This can include a multidisciplinary team approach to healthcare delivery, reducing the burden of paperwork, encouraging FM residents and FMIG students to engage in community mentorship opportunities, and increasing the number of BIPOC providers. This issue is complex and multifactorial and will take a collaborative effort to address. Nonetheless, Dr. Baiden finds the field of family medicine extremely rewarding and still finds time to spend outdoors hiking, glamping, cycling, gardening or climbing. But most of all, she enjoys karaoke dance parties at home with her son, her greatest teacher and joy. She has since been motivated to serve marginalized, underresourced and vulnerable populations and treat them in ways that restore dignity and respect. Though there has been a growing commitment to foster inclusivity and diversity in the workplace and academic centers, Dr. Baiden feels that there is more active work to be done. This includes changes in medical student and resident curricula and engaging allies. She also believes it important to be cautious not to further and unfairly task BIPOC and other marginalized professionals with educating and improving outcomes of systemic inequities they did not create. She has been grateful for the many allies she has met along the way who have helped establish a sense of belonging and acceptance. She credits this community for making Utah feel like home. Another group, Black Physicians of Utah (BPOU), has been instrumental in fostering community and fellowship for Dr. Baiden. BPOU was founded by Richard Ferguson, MD, MBA in 2021. Dr. Ferguson had the foresight to fill a desperately needed void in mentorship, advocacy, and access. Many BIPOC and marginalized people, professionals included, have experienced pressures to bear a mask of conformity. Part of BPOU’s mission is to create a safe space where self-censorship is not required and racialized health inequities are eliminated. Dr. Baiden looks forward to helping extend BPOU’s mission and vision into the broader under-resourced Utah community. Dr. Baiden and fellow members and supporters of Black Physicians of Utah (BPOU) at the annual MLK Day March and Rally at the University of Utah. 11 |
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