Psychiatry's Dark Secrets: Black Lives Don't Matter.

There have been significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders; however, racial disparities continue to create inequity in mental health care. In this commentary, we explore mental health disparities disfavoring African Americans in the psychiatric literature. We discuss how discrimination over time has resulted in a difference of perception, misdiagnoses, and conflicts in patient care. The literature reviewed reveals a pattern wherein African Americans are more likely to be misdiagnosed for all types of mental illness compared with other ethnicities due to fallacies perpetuated throughout the history of African Americans. In addition, the aggregation of current information and research on the current COVID-19 pandemic will justify future research on the epidemic of police brutality and shootings of unarmed African Americans. If we address this issue, we will reduce medical mistrust and ultimately reduce racial health inequities.

Ten-Year Review of the Extern Program: a Solution to an Unsuccessful Match?

OBJECTIVE: This paper presents an extern program, developed 10 years ago, which recruited unmatched medical graduates and involved them in publishing articles in academic journals, presenting poster presentations, writing grants, and networking with psychiatrists. The study examined how involvement in the extern program affected the candidates' Match reapplication outcome. METHODS: Respondents were previous externs who joined the extern program. They were sent questionnaires on how the program affected their Match reapplication outcome. RESULTS: Out of 22 externs surveyed, 15 completed the questionnaire. Results showed that the externship offered graduates opportunities in academic and clinical work, which improved their chances of getting a Match. The 15 respondents had a 100% match rate into a psychiatry residency program upon completing an average of 16 months of academic work in the externship. Respondents agreed that the extern program was beneficial, and they would highly recommend it to struggling medical graduates. CONCLUSIONS: Unmatched graduates urgently need guidance during the critical gap year. They should be given options and interventional plans, such as Dr. Rahn K. Bailey's extern program. The externship provides participants exposure to research and the scientific underpinnings of clinical medicine. It continues to expand and grow, serving unmatched medical graduates and students who need help getting into medical school or a PhD program. Further studies should be conducted on unmatched candidates, in particular, international medical graduates, who reapply and eventually match. This will provide information and insight into what they can do to advance themselves during the intervening period.