Table 1
Distribution of Physicians and Population by Population Group, United States.
| Population Group | Physicians* N = 471,408 | Population** N = 308.7 million |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| White | 75% | 63.7% |
| Black or African American | 6.3% | 12.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Asian | 12.8% | 4.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.5% | 16.3% |
[i] *Source: Castillo-Page L. Diversity in the Physician Workforce Facts & Figures 2010. Washington DC: AAMC; 2010.
**Source: US Census Bureau: National Population Estimates; Decennial Census.
Table 2
Distribution of Physicians and Population by Population Group, South Africa.
| Population Group | Physicians* (2008) N = 34,324 | Population (2011 census) N = 51.58 million |
|---|---|---|
| White | 44.8% | 9.1% |
| African (Black) | 15.0% | 76.4% |
| Coloured | 1.4% | 8.9% |
| Indian (Asian) | 12.4% | 2.4% |
| Race not specified or other | 26.4% | 0.5% |
[i] *Source: The Shortage of Medical Doctors in South Africa. Scarce and Critical Skills Research Project. Research commissioned by the Department of Labour, South Africa; March 2008.
Table 3
Top Ten Causes of Death, South Africa, 2010.
| Cause | Black | White | Indian/Asian | Coloured | Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TB | 1 | 10 | 1 | 1 | |
| Influenza & Pneumonia | 2 | 7 | 9 | 2 | |
| Intestinal Infectious Disease | 3 | 3 | |||
| Other Heart Disease | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 | 4 |
| CVA | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| HIV | 6 | 7 | 6 | ||
| Diabetes mellitus | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 7 |
| Hypertensive Disease | 8 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 8 |
| Other Viral Disease | 9 | 9 | |||
| Immunological Disorder | 10 | 10 | |||
| Ischemic Heart Disease | 1 | 2 | 5 | ||
| Digestive System Cancer | 4 | 5 | 8 | ||
| COPD | 5 | 6 | 4 | ||
| Lung Cancer | 8 | 8 | 6 | ||
| Renal Disease | 10 |
[i] Source: Statistics South Africa.
Figure 1
United States AHEC Model.
Figure 2
South Africa AHEC Model.
Table 4
Comparison of US and South Africa AHEC Models.
| US Model | South Africa Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Site | Remote AHEC centre that is independent of medical school | Remote medical school mini-campus |
| Governance | AHEC centre board of directors, or host regional hospital with advisory committee | Faculty of medicine and science with advisory committee |
| Pipeline Programme | Promote health careers amongst underrepresented* primary and secondary school students | Strengthen educational experience for underrepresented* secondary school students |
| Programme Conducted By | AHEC centre staff | University faculty of education; secondary school teachers |
| Advisory Board or Board of Directors | Representatives of medical school, other academic institutions, health departments, medical practices, hospital, consumers | Representatives of faculties of medicine and science and education; national departments of health and education; Morehouse School of Medicine (US partner) |
| Stakeholders | Underserved communities, parents, students, health professions schools | Underserved communities, parents, students, health professions school |
[i] *Underrepresented students: students from population groups whose percent representation amongst physicians is significantly less than their representation in the population as a whole. US: black and Hispanic. South Africa: black and coloured. Both countries: rural.
Table 5
Stakeholder Recommendations: Themes and Selected Quotes.
| Themes | SUNCEP | Educator | Parent/Caregiver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Increased Program Awareness |
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| Communication |
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| Program Restructuring |
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| Historical/Political/Contextual Factors |
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