She knew no Native doctors growing up; her goal is to change that in Wisconsin
“I know that there are a lot of health disparities among Native communities.” Erica Bhatti
CHICAGO - Erica Bhatti is not quite sure why medical services are lacking at her Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe Reservation in northern Wisconsin and in the rest of Indian Country, but she’s aiming to do something about it.
“I know that there are a lot of health disparities among Native communities,” she said. “It’s visibly different than other areas. Colonization has something to do with the disparities.”
Bhatti, 22, a citizen of the LDF Ojibwe Nation, graduated this month from the University of Illinois Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and is immediately pursuing a medical degree, as well as a master’s in public health. During the graduation ceremony, she wore a traditional Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) stole.
Bhatti plans to return to the Lac du Flambeau Reservation to work on her residency within three years and eventually hopes to work as a full-time doctor for the tribe.
“Growing up, I didn’t know any other Native doctors,” she said. “My dream is to come back and work as a doctor.”
American Indians and Alaska Natives make up about 1.7% of the U.S. population, according to the Census Bureau. But there are only about 3,400 Indigenous physicians, about 0.4% of the workforce, according to the American Medical Association.
Dr. Donald Warne, a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe, told the AMA that recruiting American Indians into medical school remains difficult as students face challenges of poverty, substandard housing, substance abuse and high rates of suicide among themselves, in their families and communities.
Bhatti grew up near Milwaukee, but spent her summers on the LDF reservation with her mother’s side of the family.
When visiting college campuses, she learned that UIC has an active Native American Support Program and the university offers in-state tuition to citizens of federally recognized tribal nations.
“I chose to go to UIC because it leads in research, and I knew I wanted to be in pre-medicine, so that was the big reason why I came and toured the campus,” Bhatti said. “Then, I saw that there was a recognized Native American Support Program and in-state tuition, and that was the cherry on top. That program has saved me thousands of dollars.”
She is president of the Native American and Indigenous Students Organization on campus and helps plan the annual UIC Pow-wow.
While she’s learned Western medicine at UIC, Bhatti said she also realizes that knowledge of traditional medicines she learned from her family will help her community on the reservation.
A study for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that Native American communities have among the highest levels of mistrust of medical professionals. The study recommended that more Native American community members be recruited and trained to serve as a liaison to the health care system to address health inequities.
As a result of being forced onto reservations typically where there was poor farmland, many Native Americans developed several diseases as a result of poor diets.
Some of the top killers of Indigenous people are heart disease, cancer and diabetes.
Heart disease and cancer both caused 20% of Indigenous deaths in Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Indigenous people in Wisconsin are also more than three times more likely to die from diabetes than the white population, according to the state agency.
Frank Vaisvilas is a Report for America corps member who covers Native American issues in Wisconsin based at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact him at fvaisvilas@gannett.com or 815260-2262. Follow him on Twitter at @vaisvilas_frank. You can directly support his work with a tax-deductible donation online at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Drive, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105.