Andrea T. Deyrup, M.D., Ph.D., has authored an article along with Joseph L. Graves, Jr., Ph.D., titled “Racial Biology and Medical Misconceptions” that was released in the February 5th 2022 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The article focuses on the persistent misconception that socially defined race has biological implications and the potential for this belief to cause patient harm. They offer specific recommendations aimed at encouraging physicians to “remove the racial glasses through which they first see patients” and thereby improve patient care.
Dr. Deyrup’s work addressing race-based medicine is extensive, and she was also highlighted in an Instapath blog post on Jan. 26, 2022, “Data-Driven and Determined: Evaluating Race in Medical Curricula.” She shares her love for teaching and passion for antiracism efforts in medical education in the post and also in an interview with Dr. Michael Williams on his podcast, Diversify in Path.
In October 2021, Dr. Deyrup started a YouTube channel and website featuring videos on race in medicine based, in part, on her work as a co-editor revising the 10th edition of Robbins Basic Pathology with Drs. Vinay Kumar, Abul Abbas and Jon Aster. Dr. Graves is also serving as a consultant for that work, to ensure that the focus on equity is supported by the scientific data. You can link to the videos from Dr. Deyrup’s website, www.pathologycentral.org.
Based on her findings, she created a Grand Rounds that she presented to the Duke Pathology department in March of 2021 called “Race in Robbins, Data or Distraction?”
“It wasn’t enough to simply not be racist myself, but I had to actively engage in antiracism as a moral imperative,” affirms Dr. Deyrup.
Follow Dr. Deyrup on Twitter @ATDeyrupMDPhD.