Inspirational Black Men and Women in Medicine: Aaron Henry of Trueguide Health Consulting On 5 Things You Need To Create A Successful Career In Medicine

An Interview With Jamie Hemmings

You will doubt yourself, but keep moving forward.

In the medical community, Black men comprise a very small percentage of healthcare providers. When I graduated from PA school, I was slightly intimidated because I didn’t see many providers who looked like me. This led to feelings of self-doubt and insecurity. Thankfully I connected with other minority providers who eventually became my mentors and sources of motivation.

In the United States today, black doctors are vastly underrepresented. Only 5% of physicians nationwide are black. Why is it so important to have better representation? What steps can be taken to fix this discrepancy? In this interview series, we are talking to successful black men and women in medicine about their career, their accomplishments, and how others may follow their path. As a part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Aaron Henry, PA-C, MSHS.

Aaron Henry is a licensed physician assistant (PA), men’s health coach, and owner of TrueGuide Health Consulting LLC. Aside from his duties as a healthcare provider, Aaron also serves as an assistant professor at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood “backstory”?

I grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, and to be honest, my childhood was pretty rough. In my neighborhood, having a thick skin was a prerequisite for acceptance and survival. Unfortunately, many of the people from my community who I grew up with have either passed away or joined the ranks of the incarcerated. As a child, I always knew I wanted more out of life and dreamed of traveling the world and positively impacting society. After graduating high school, I decided to take a different path by joining the United States Navy.

Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

As a child, I was always fascinated by science. I can remember skimming through encyclopedias and being mesmerized by the human anatomy diagrams outlining the skeletal system and major blood vessels. At age 11, my father gave me a copy of Dr. Ben Carson’s book “Gifted Hands,” which fueled my desire to pursue a medical career. Dr. Carson’s story was so inspirational because he had a similar upbringing as me, defied the odds, and became successful.

When I joined the Navy, I worked as a hospital corpsman (combat medic) and served two tours of duty in Iraq with the Marines. While serving in Iraq, I had the opportunity to shadow a physician assistant who recommended that I consider becoming a PA. I was so impressed by his knowledge and skill that I decided to follow his career path. Once my enlistment ended, I applied to PA school and was accepted to The George Washington University in Washington DC.

After graduating from PA school, I worked in areas such as emergency medicine, primary and urgent care. Throughout my career, I noticed that men tended to have worse health outcomes than women, mainly due to poor lifestyle choices. This observation prompted me to get my health coaching certification focusing on men’s health and disease prevention.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I have a lot of favorite quotes, but one that has always resonated comes from Henry Ford; “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t — you’re right.” This quote has relevance for a variety of reasons. During my childhood, I had very low self-esteem and lacked confidence. When faced with a difficulty or unfamiliar situation, I would mentally sabotage myself because I didn’t believe in my own abilities.

I can remember using the principles of this quote when I was applying to PA school many years ago. Math was always a challenging subject for me as a kid and almost prevented me from becoming a health care provider. To get into PA school, I had to complete science courses such as biology and organic chemistry. Unfortunately, I discovered that the prerequisite for those classes was high-level algebra which was my kryptonite. I had the choice to give up and seek a less scientific career that didn’t require math or believe in myself enough to push through the uncertainty.

After completing my prerequisites and required science courses, I realized I could achieve anything with the right mindset.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Years ago, when I worked in urgent care, I had a patient who came in for an asthma attack. During the visit, his condition worsened dramatically. He had severe shortness of breath and became unconscious due to respiratory failure. In the clinical environment, this is one of the scariest things that any healthcare provider can encounter. I had to intubate the patient, which involved sticking a tube down his throat for him to be able to breathe. To be honest, I wasn’t sure if he was going to survive because his oxygen levels were so low. Shortly after, he was transported to the hospital by ambulance, and I was convinced he wouldn’t make it. A few weeks later, that same patient showed up at the clinic with a big smile, shook my hand, and invited me out to lunch! This was one of the most interesting stories I’ve had in my career.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

1.Vision

Vision is one of the most essential character traits that every leader should have. As a leader, you are often faced with challenges that require you to think outside of the box and see things that are invisible to others. When I decided to leave my neighborhood to join the Navy, I was met with a lot of resistance from many of my friends and family members. They couldn’t understand why I would join an organization that would put me at an increased risk of being injured or killed at war. Despite the lack of approval, I had the vision to see the many opportunities for personal growth and future success.

2.Discipline

The second character trait that aided in my success is discipline. Nowadays, we hear a lot about the importance of being motivated to complete your goals. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that motivation is only the first step of the process. Although motivation is necessary to get you started on your path, it isn’t sufficient to carry you through to the finish line. Discipline is the fuel that drives success, and I have relied on it throughout my entire career. When I started PA school, I quickly realized how challenging the curriculum was. During my undergrad years, the coursework was relatively easy and didn’t require advanced studying techniques. In PA school, the material required a depth of mastery that I was unaccustomed to. It took an incredible amount of discipline to effectively study the material, which often involved countless hours of studying in the school library.

3.Humility

The third character trait for success is humility. As healthcare providers, we are often viewed as “bearers of all medical knowledge.” Unfortunately, this assumption leads to very high and unrealistic self-expectations. The problem is that medical knowledge constantly changes, and healthcare providers can’t know everything. There were many times throughout my career when a patient asked a question I didn’t know the answer to. Although my pride may have taken a hit, practicing humility allowed me to admit that I didn’t know the answer, which motivated me to find it. I believe that through humility, we show compassion to not only ourselves, but also to others.

Thank you for all that. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. This might seem intuitive to you, but it would be helpful to articulate this expressly. Can you share three reasons with our readers why it’s really important for there to be more diversity in medicine?

1. Diversity Accurately Reflects the US Population

As the demographics of our nation continuously change, full representation in healthcare becomes even more critical. In the past, medical school admissions were very exclusive and strictly prohibited minorities. This led to a lack of representation throughout the early American healthcare system, which set the stage for many of the health disparities we see today. Diversity in medicine is important because it levels to playing field by increasing representation for marginalized and underserved communities that would benefit the most.

2. Diversity improves patient outcomes

Numerous studies show that diversity in medicine improves patient health outcomes. One reason is that representation in medicine builds trust between patients and their healthcare providers. When people have the same racial/ethnic background, they tend to have more things in common which build rapport and trust. This commonality makes patients more comfortable and likely to trust their healthcare provider’s recommendations.

3. Can help motivate minorities to pursue careers in healthcare

Growing up, I can only recall having one Black doctor. Unfortunately, this situation is prevalent in inner-city communities that have an overwhelming shortage of minority healthcare providers. If a community lacks representation in any occupation, pursuing those careers can seem unattainable or unrealistic for people in that environment. Throughout my career, I’ve experienced a lot of praise from my Black patients, who tell me how proud they are to see a “Black doctor.” Thankfully, I have had the opportunity to encourage many young people to pursue careers in medicine based on my presence alone..

As things stand today, what are the main barriers for black men and women to enter the medical field?

-Unprepared Academically

Becoming a health care provider requires a strong foundation in the basic sciences and the ability to withstand rigorous coursework. Unfortunately, many children from inner cities attend failing schools that cripple their ability to succeed academically. Many schools often lack qualified science teachers or funding for resources such as textbooks or lab equipment. As a result, these students lack the foundational knowledge and grades to be considered for undergrad or medical school admission.

- Lack of Resources to pay for Higher Education

Another barrier for Black men and women entering the medical field is the lack of funding for education. On average, in the United States, Black families have a significantly lower net worth than whites. This economic disparity dates back to slavery and continues to create hardships to this day. Given this lack of generational wealth, many Black families cannot afford to send their children to college without accruing massive debt.

From your perspective, can you share a few things that can be done by the community, society, or the government, to help remove those barriers?

-Focus on Poverty

I believe that everything starts in early childhood education, with a focus on addressing the high poverty rates in underserved communities. It is well known that childhood poverty is a significant contributor to poor academic performance for children. If a child isn’t getting proper nutrition, how can they be alert in the classroom? Each child should have access to adequate nutrition to reach their maximum academic potential, which should be a priority at both the federal and state level.

-Invest in Failing School Systems

As mentioned earlier, many Black communities lack essential educational resources necessary for academic success. I believe that if we recruit more highly qualified teachers into these communities, it will level the playing field, which will positively impact educational outcomes. A great way to recruit higher-quality teachers is by creating incentives such as sign-on bonuses or loan repayment. In addition, there should be more focus on tailoring a curriculum that involves more science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at an early elementary school level.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started my career in medicine,” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1 . You will doubt yourself, but keep moving forward.

In the medical community, Black men comprise a very small percentage of healthcare providers. When I graduated from PA school, I was slightly intimidated because I didn’t see many providers who looked like me. This led to feelings of self-doubt and insecurity. Thankfully I connected with other minority providers who eventually became my mentors and sources of motivation.

2 . When times get hard, remember why you chose your career.

Like any other occupation, there are some days that you question whether or not you made the right career choice. The healthcare field can be pretty demanding, especially after COVID-19. In the early days of the pandemic, there was chaos because we didn’t know much about the virus except that it indiscriminately affected the population. In those days, going to work was a significant risk for healthcare providers on the front line. As a result, there were high rates of burnout, job dissatisfaction, and pessimism. During those times, I had to remind myself that the entire world was afraid and that I played a significant role in alleviating their concerns and suffering.

3 . Some patients will like you, and some won’t. Don’t take it personally.

Patient satisfaction is an important metric that most healthcare providers are rated on. Unfortunately, it’s very easy to become consumed with patient reviews and comments. Over the years, I’ve realized that some patients will naturally be drawn to you, while others may not like you despite your best efforts. With experience, I’ve learned that being authentic is the key to great patient interactions, and that people-pleasing will only result in resentment and burnout!

4 . You are a healthcare provider, not a superhero.

Before working as a PA, I used to think putting on a white lab coat was equivalent to wearing a superman cape. I thought that I would be prepared to solve every patient’s problems and have all of the answers. What I quickly realized was that this mindset set the stage for false expectations and unnecessary stress. As a healthcare provider, you can only do so much. Although I can make recommendations for better health, it’s ultimately up to the patient to follow my advice.

5 . Your role influences others

After caring for thousands of patients for over a decade, it’s easy to forget how much of an impact I have on others. Reflecting on my upbringing, I feel very fortunate to be in my current position because I know that most people from my neighborhood will never have this opportunity. I also realize that in many cases, I am the first Black male provider that some of my younger patients have ever encountered. I feel pride knowing that I have the power to positively influence so many people.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

-Educating the community about disease prevention

If I could inspire a movement, it would be geared toward educating underserved communities on disease prevention through lifestyle modification. Preventable diseases like obesity, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus are decimating underserved communities, and are usually caused by unhealthy lifestyle habits. I would create this movement with the needs of these communities, which takes into account their unique economic burden and cultural considerations. The main focus would be on making better food choices with limited resources and functional exercise for better health.

We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.

If I could have lunch with someone, it would have to be Jay-Z. Aside from being a fantastic lyricist, he is also an advocate for helping educate children from underserved communities. Through his Shawn Carter Foundation, he has provided the opportunity for many financially disadvantaged kids to go to college and pursue their dreams. I would love to discuss how we can create an educational pipeline to funnel underrepresented minorities into the highest levels of the medical field.

How can our readers best continue to follow your work online?

The best way to follow my work is by visiting my website at https://www.trueguidehealth.com/

Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.