Jayce Clark, a second-year student in Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences’ Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program, was awarded placement in the Robert A. Winn Diversity in Clinical Trials: Clinical Investigator Pathway Program. Supported by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, the program aims to build a diverse future workforce of community-oriented clinical trial researchers.
The six-week externship exposes students to clinical research and provides mentorship from early-stage clinical investigators. “Equity is the biggest thing they’re fighting for,” Clark says.
Clark, who hails from San Jose, California, first learned about the program through an email from DMU’s Office of Research. As a Native American and a registered member of the Tlingit Tribe, Clark acknowledged the need to increase diversity in clinical trials. He applied and was accepted to the program at the University of Louisville. “Coming from a minority group that’s underrepresented in medicine, I knew this would be a valuable opportunity,” Clark says.
“This program underscores the critical need to promote diversity in clinical research. Jayce Clark embodies the dedication and community focus required to address health disparities,” says Pravin Mishra, Ph.D., M.B.A., executive director of research. “His unique background and unwavering commitment to equity make him a perfect recipient.”
Robert A. Winn, M.D., director of the Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, established the program to promote diversity, equity and inclusion. The program’s goal is to build a future workforce of community-oriented clinical trial researchers who reflect the diversity of the U.S. population. Winn observed firsthand that groups were underrepresented, not only in the trials themselves, but also as the people who ran them.
“He [Winn] is hoping to make a change by giving students like me a chance to dip our toes into clinical research,” Clark says.
During the program, Clark contributed to a bidirectional communication project to address health care disparities in West Louisville. Under the mentorship of In Kim, M.D., M.B.A, director of the Center for Health Process Innovation and a professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville, Clark’s work focused on understanding and mitigating the mistrust in the health care system that contributes to the community’s lower life expectancy. This involved collaborating with local community-based organizations to build partnerships and improve health outcomes. The project’s goal was to foster trust and establish stronger connections between the health care system and the community, Clark says.
“Nothing in health care is about checking boxes. It’s about the person in front of you,” Clark says. “The best thing that I can do is continue to educate myself on different communities that are underrepresented and are experiencing inequities within the health care system.”