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Me and Research, It’s Complicated

Me and Research, It’s Complicated NARRATIVE ESSAYS Reflections From an FMAHealth Fellow Vivian Jiang, MD (Fam Med. 2019;51(2):205-6.) doi: 10.22454/FamMed.2019.767822 amily medicine research is cru- a researcher seemed to lead me to- Upon accepting the FMAHealth cial for strengthening primary ward the world of academics and Research Fellowship, I braced my- F care and improving population theorists and away from my pas- self for all the forces that would soon health in the United States. Until a sion for empowering underserved start pulling me away from commu- year ago, I could not have disagreed communities. The community advo- nities and toward academics. They more. Housing the homeless, feed- cate in me found this unacceptable. never came. Instead, I met a team ing the hungry—these issues seemed I wanted a career that would encour- of conscientious, passionate fam- much more important for improving age humanism as much as intellec- ily physician researchers eager to health and more relevant to family tual stimulation and bring me closer train me to do research in whatever medicine. It took me nearly a decade to communities; I decided to become setting I pleased. The first week of to accept that it takes research to a family physician and abandon re- fellowship, my director offered me identify evidence-based solutions to search. It would take me several involvement with dozens of research these socioeconomic problems. You more years to realize family medi- projects spanning a breadth of top- see, after deciding to become a family cine research was different from ba- ics, all at different stages of devel- physician, I actively avoided research sic research and could actually help opment. His single request was that for several years. By finally welcom - me reach my social justice goals. I only take on projects I found in- ing research back into my life this I limited my applications to medi- teresting. Inspired by my director’s past year as the Family Medicine cal schools and residencies without a clear dedication to my learning, I for America’s Health (FMAHealth) research requirement for graduation. challenged myself to take interest Research Fellow, I’ve come to appre- I surrounded myself with people in topics beyond health equity and ciate family medicine research for with a strong social justice vein and absorb the rich learning opportuni- what it is and how impactful it can spent my extracurricular time advo- ties each project offered. To better be in advancing health and health cating for health equity and social serve the underserved, I extended care. justice. I pushed hard for health pol- my focus beyond immediately ad- I am a community advocate at icies to make health care a human dressing disparities to instead learn heart with a soft spot for science. My right, support gender nondiscrimina- the core principles of family medi- relationship with research started in tion in health care, and discourage cine research. college when I joined an immunolo- abstinence-only sexual education in Family medicine research is as gy lab. Having just graduated from schools. Opponents soon began chal- broad as the clinical discipline and an underperforming high school, I lenging me to provide the evidence affects health care in more ways dreamed of becoming a scientist so showing these policies would im- than I had previously imagined. I re- that I could invite inner city high prove health. Finding evidence for alized this while working with the schoolers to do research with me. To- many of the issues I advocated for FMAHealth Research Tactic Team gether, we would cure AIDS and im- was not easy, mostly because rela- to evaluate the scholarly output of prove health literacy in underserved tively little research had been done family medicine departments and communities. I hoped research would on policies relating to health equity. be my vehicle for social change, but As reluctant as I was to get back in- From the Department of Family Medicine and I soon realized it wasn’t. Though fun volved with research, I knew it had Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth for my science brain, training to be to be done. University, Richmond, VA. FAMILY MEDICINE VOL. 51, NO. 2 • FEBRUARY 2019 205 NARRATIVE ESSAY identify collaboration patterns be- alongside qualitative and quantita- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The author first and foremost thanks Family Medicine for America’s tween family medicine researchers tive researchers, statisticians, data Health (FMAHealth) for funding this fellow- and researchers in other disciplines. managers, and other staff. I feel ship opportunity, and Alex Krist, MD, for being Over 80% of family medicine re- lucky to have been exposed to such a fantastic fellowship director, research mentor, and clinical colleague. The author also thanks searchers publish in non-family med- a rich learning environment this Andrew Bazemore, MD, Winston Liaw, MD, icine journals and an even greater year. And I know my experiences Christina Hester, MPH, PhD, and the staff percentage publish with researchers only begin to represent the diversi- at the Robert Graham Center and Health- Landscape for their invaluable mentorship, outside their family medicine depart- ty of what family medicine research advice, and assistance with multiple research ments. This includes researchers in is and what it can be. projects. The author thanks the Department other specialties like cardiology or Research is desperately needed in of Family Medicine and Population Health at Virginia Commonwealth University for host- psychiatry as well as those outside the worlds of both health equity and ing the fellowship and welcoming the author of medicine such as public health, family medicine more broadly. Few into their research family. Finally, the author sociology, environmental science, and opportunities exist to develop basic thanks Fairfax Family Practice for providing a clinical site to continue developing the au- public policy. It is this broad reach of research literacy for family physi- thor’s outpatient family medicine skills while family medicine research that makes cians involved in other aspects of participating in a research fellowship. it so difficult to define and advocate family medicine such as community FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Funding for the au- for, yet so important. engagement, health equity, medical thor’s research fellowship was provided by I had firsthand exposure to the education, health information tech- Family Medicine for America’s Health. breadth of family medicine re- nology, and workforce development. CORRESPONDENCE: Address correspondence search through my projects at the This rare FMAHealth opportunity to Vivian Jiang, MD, VCU Department of Fam- Virginia Commonwealth Universi- to work with multiple family medi- ily Medicine and Population Health, 830 E ty, the host institution for the FMA- cine research teams on an array of Main Street, 6th Floor, Richmond, VA 23298. 650-455-8862. vjiang2@gmail.com. Health Fellowship. From exploring research projects has equipped me how clinicians keep up with guide- with the tools and confidence I need line changes to evaluating the utility to lead my own research studies, join of an opioid registry for encourag- a practice-based research network, ing appropriate prescribing, I applied and collaborate on projects across qualitative methods to a variety of multiple health disciplines in ways primary care topics. I navigated com- that will directly and indirectly im- plex databases and used geocoding pact social justice. As a community to assess maldistribution of primary advocate, I now realize the impor- care clinicians to map state-wide pri- tance of family medicine research in mary care workforce needs. Most im- guiding my efforts to improve health portantly, I learned how to function for all. within a primary care research team 206 FEBRUARY 2019 • VOL. 51, NO. 2 FAMILY MEDICINE http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Family Medicine Unpaywall

Me and Research, It’s Complicated

Family MedicineFeb 8, 2019

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Unpaywall
ISSN
0742-3225
DOI
10.22454/fammed.2019.767822
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Abstract

NARRATIVE ESSAYS Reflections From an FMAHealth Fellow Vivian Jiang, MD (Fam Med. 2019;51(2):205-6.) doi: 10.22454/FamMed.2019.767822 amily medicine research is cru- a researcher seemed to lead me to- Upon accepting the FMAHealth cial for strengthening primary ward the world of academics and Research Fellowship, I braced my- F care and improving population theorists and away from my pas- self for all the forces that would soon health in the United States. Until a sion for empowering underserved start pulling me away from commu- year ago, I could not have disagreed communities. The community advo- nities and toward academics. They more. Housing the homeless, feed- cate in me found this unacceptable. never came. Instead, I met a team ing the hungry—these issues seemed I wanted a career that would encour- of conscientious, passionate fam- much more important for improving age humanism as much as intellec- ily physician researchers eager to health and more relevant to family tual stimulation and bring me closer train me to do research in whatever medicine. It took me nearly a decade to communities; I decided to become setting I pleased. The first week of to accept that it takes research to a family physician and abandon re- fellowship, my director offered me identify evidence-based solutions to search. It would take me several involvement with dozens of research these socioeconomic problems. You more years to realize family medi- projects spanning a breadth of top- see, after deciding to become a family cine research was different from ba- ics, all at different stages of devel- physician, I actively avoided research sic research and could actually help opment. His single request was that for several years. By finally welcom - me reach my social justice goals. I only take on projects I found in- ing research back into my life this I limited my applications to medi- teresting. Inspired by my director’s past year as the Family Medicine cal schools and residencies without a clear dedication to my learning, I for America’s Health (FMAHealth) research requirement for graduation. challenged myself to take interest Research Fellow, I’ve come to appre- I surrounded myself with people in topics beyond health equity and ciate family medicine research for with a strong social justice vein and absorb the rich learning opportuni- what it is and how impactful it can spent my extracurricular time advo- ties each project offered. To better be in advancing health and health cating for health equity and social serve the underserved, I extended care. justice. I pushed hard for health pol- my focus beyond immediately ad- I am a community advocate at icies to make health care a human dressing disparities to instead learn heart with a soft spot for science. My right, support gender nondiscrimina- the core principles of family medi- relationship with research started in tion in health care, and discourage cine research. college when I joined an immunolo- abstinence-only sexual education in Family medicine research is as gy lab. Having just graduated from schools. Opponents soon began chal- broad as the clinical discipline and an underperforming high school, I lenging me to provide the evidence affects health care in more ways dreamed of becoming a scientist so showing these policies would im- than I had previously imagined. I re- that I could invite inner city high prove health. Finding evidence for alized this while working with the schoolers to do research with me. To- many of the issues I advocated for FMAHealth Research Tactic Team gether, we would cure AIDS and im- was not easy, mostly because rela- to evaluate the scholarly output of prove health literacy in underserved tively little research had been done family medicine departments and communities. I hoped research would on policies relating to health equity. be my vehicle for social change, but As reluctant as I was to get back in- From the Department of Family Medicine and I soon realized it wasn’t. Though fun volved with research, I knew it had Population Health, Virginia Commonwealth for my science brain, training to be to be done. University, Richmond, VA. FAMILY MEDICINE VOL. 51, NO. 2 • FEBRUARY 2019 205 NARRATIVE ESSAY identify collaboration patterns be- alongside qualitative and quantita- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The author first and foremost thanks Family Medicine for America’s tween family medicine researchers tive researchers, statisticians, data Health (FMAHealth) for funding this fellow- and researchers in other disciplines. managers, and other staff. I feel ship opportunity, and Alex Krist, MD, for being Over 80% of family medicine re- lucky to have been exposed to such a fantastic fellowship director, research mentor, and clinical colleague. The author also thanks searchers publish in non-family med- a rich learning environment this Andrew Bazemore, MD, Winston Liaw, MD, icine journals and an even greater year. And I know my experiences Christina Hester, MPH, PhD, and the staff percentage publish with researchers only begin to represent the diversi- at the Robert Graham Center and Health- Landscape for their invaluable mentorship, outside their family medicine depart- ty of what family medicine research advice, and assistance with multiple research ments. This includes researchers in is and what it can be. projects. The author thanks the Department other specialties like cardiology or Research is desperately needed in of Family Medicine and Population Health at Virginia Commonwealth University for host- psychiatry as well as those outside the worlds of both health equity and ing the fellowship and welcoming the author of medicine such as public health, family medicine more broadly. Few into their research family. Finally, the author sociology, environmental science, and opportunities exist to develop basic thanks Fairfax Family Practice for providing a clinical site to continue developing the au- public policy. It is this broad reach of research literacy for family physi- thor’s outpatient family medicine skills while family medicine research that makes cians involved in other aspects of participating in a research fellowship. it so difficult to define and advocate family medicine such as community FINANCIAL SUPPORT: Funding for the au- for, yet so important. engagement, health equity, medical thor’s research fellowship was provided by I had firsthand exposure to the education, health information tech- Family Medicine for America’s Health. breadth of family medicine re- nology, and workforce development. CORRESPONDENCE: Address correspondence search through my projects at the This rare FMAHealth opportunity to Vivian Jiang, MD, VCU Department of Fam- Virginia Commonwealth Universi- to work with multiple family medi- ily Medicine and Population Health, 830 E ty, the host institution for the FMA- cine research teams on an array of Main Street, 6th Floor, Richmond, VA 23298. 650-455-8862. vjiang2@gmail.com. Health Fellowship. From exploring research projects has equipped me how clinicians keep up with guide- with the tools and confidence I need line changes to evaluating the utility to lead my own research studies, join of an opioid registry for encourag- a practice-based research network, ing appropriate prescribing, I applied and collaborate on projects across qualitative methods to a variety of multiple health disciplines in ways primary care topics. I navigated com- that will directly and indirectly im- plex databases and used geocoding pact social justice. As a community to assess maldistribution of primary advocate, I now realize the impor- care clinicians to map state-wide pri- tance of family medicine research in mary care workforce needs. Most im- guiding my efforts to improve health portantly, I learned how to function for all. within a primary care research team 206 FEBRUARY 2019 • VOL. 51, NO. 2 FAMILY MEDICINE

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Family MedicineUnpaywall

Published: Feb 8, 2019

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