Women’s health is one of the many things I am passionate about, as the needs of women and men vary greatly. However, the United States currently ranks 87th globally in gender gaps regarding health and survival rates. When the numbers are broken down into state rankings, Texas came in as number 48. You can imagine my surprise when I first read those numbers as a young woman studying medicine, but my journey of awareness did not start here. I was first made aware of gender disparity at 11 years old when the expectations of traditional social conduct began to become more prominent. This is a journey many women before me have embarked on, and I will not say that I was the first to question it. What I will say is that I became curious as to what else was different about the treatment of men and women. As I got older, I began to research the gender disparity in the medical field. Only 36% of active doctors are women, and this figure breaks down even more. White women constitute 54% of those numbers, women of Asian descent follow with 21%, black women make up 7%, non-white Hispanic women follow close behind at 6%, 2% are multiracial, and 0.4% are Indigenous, native Hawaiian, and/or Pacific Islander. Mental health is a major concern within the medical field, with suicide risks as high as seven times more likely than the general population. Female physicians are 250 to 400% more likely to turn to suicide than women in other professions. All of these numbers motivate me to join the fight against gender disparity. After obtaining my degree, my main goal is to be a representative in the Medical field for all the little girls interested in science. The first step in making change is having someone that looks like you in that field. This creates hope and shows that dreams are within reach. My next goal is to mentor girls who are interested in medicine and who would otherwise not have any support. Entering into a male-dominated field is demanding, but more so when the field is mentally and emotionally taxing to everyone in it. When there is someone who understands your concerns and relates to your experiences, there is a stronger sense of community, rather than competition. These goals may be considered small, but tie into my ultimate goal. I would like to work towards opening a series of clinics and eventually a hospital in the Houston Area where healthcare is not as accessible for those in minorities. These clinics and the hospital would be headed by a group of well-qualified individuals who are committed to implementing policies that focus on gender and medical equality. In addition to this, each member of the team would come from different backgrounds and experiences in order to make them more relatable. Overall, I would like to create a space for all women to voice their health concerns while feeling safe and validated and knowing that their care team will do what is best for them. I am not sure if this will have a large impact on the narrative of gender disparity, but no matter how small the shift may be, I will continue to try and be a beacon of hope and change.

My name is Hope McGinnis and I am currently majoring in Biology. I am currently a Junior and I plan to study at Houston Baptist University in Fall 2022. My plan is to go to medical school and join the current three percent of black female doctors. I am the youngest of four sisters. Currently, I am the only STEM-focused individual in our family. My sisters like to say that I am the resident nerd! I love reading and watching many docuseries. There are so many fascinating things out in this world, and although I cannot learn everything there is to know, I enjoy learning tiny pieces of information. Currently, I enjoy studying Herbalism, world cultures, and foreign languages in my spare time. I cannot say that I have one individual that is my most significant influence. I have been fortunate to encounter many different individuals in my life that strive for excellence. However, my greatest asset has been my discipline. The only individuals I can thank for this are my parents, Harry and Betty McGinnis. They are more affectionately called Daddy ad Mama. Our journey together has been long, but it does not feel unpleasant. My parents are both educators. My father worked for 34 years teaching high school-level art courses. My mother first worked in corporate America for 13 years, then taught for 10 years in the public school system, and homeschooled me for 15 years. Daddy has always been interested in all styles of art but specializes in sculpture. These projects often take time and patience, causing my father to be laser-focused on each step for up to several months. He insisted that I invest this kind of energy into everything that I do, but under the condition that I had to do something that I liked. My mother took a very different approach. She made sure to instill into the idea that no matter what happened, whether or not I enjoyed the task, or whatever tried to hinder me, I was to do my absolute best. As long as I put in my best effort, she would be satisfied. Those teachings have carried me throughout my academic career. In every class, I attempt to work as hard as I can. Although, I can say I enjoy most, if not all, of my classes this time around. As I want to become a doctor, the teachings I have carried with me throughout my school life will carry over into my professional life. Currently, in the medical field, people of color are more likely to not receive treatment for their illnesses. There has been a history of mistrust, an issue that has been ever-present during the Coronavirus pandemic. As a woman of color, I would like to present to my patients a reflection of themselves. If a patient has a doctor that they are able to relate to, I believe that they would be more forthcoming about their concerns. Using my discipline, I would like to devote myself to the care of all of my patients, creating plans based on their specific needs. Perhaps, I will inspire other little girls to join the field and make their own marks on medicine.