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REFLECTING ON THE RACIAL INEQUITIES IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION WITH CORE LOUISVILLE . HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE DIVERSITY ?
AUTHOR Ayesha Singh and Aneeta Bhatia , MD MBA FFARCS FASE
This article explores the possible causes of racial / ethnic disparity in the overall medical school applicant pool and amongst practicing physicians . It offers some suggestions for a more equitable profession . The article also introduces CORE Louisville .
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges ( AAMC ), in 1980 ,
3.4 % of the enrollees in American medical schools were Black males . Thirty-nine years later , that number has largely remained unchanged . Since 1980 , despite an almost 27 % increase in medical school seats , Black representation continues to show slow growth . Between 1980-2016 , the number of medical school applicants increased by 47 %. However , the Black applicant pool constituted only 8.2 % of the total pool . The 2018- 2019 AAMC race / ethnicity charts show white applicants at 46.8 % and Black applicants at 8.4 %. Black applicants have the lowest rates of acceptance in medical schools compared to every other racial ethnic group . In 2016 , the overall acceptance rate was 41.5 %, with individual groups varying between 42.2-44.9 %. Black applicants , on the other hand , were accepted at a rate of 35.4 %. In 2018-2019 , the percentages of active practicing physicians by race / ethnicity were identified at 56.2 % white and 5.0 % Black Americans . The percentage of Black enrollees remained at 3.4 %.
Why are Blacks underrepresented in the medical profession ? To start with , there are steep barriers to overcome . “ Blacks disproportionately attend low-performing elementary and secondary schools . Few are directed into the high school and college classes that would prepare them for pre-med study . Many aren ’ t even aware that medical school is an option ,” stated Barbara Sadick in her 2016 Wall Street Journal piece (‘ Pipeline ’ Programs Try to Steer Minority Students to Careers in Medicine . Wall Street Journal . Feb . 15 , 2016 .). Mentoring , early career counseling and pipeline programs are needed to clear hurdles . Academic , financial , social and emotional support are critical for minority students to dream of medical school . Further , creating awareness of the availability of these support programs at the grassroots level is the platform to make aspiration a reality .
Academic medicine too has had to examine its role in the long-standing systemic and institutional racism existing in medical schools and research programs . Altering the Course from the AAMC reports the persistent structural racism and stereotyping faced by Black males . Even as pipeline programs and mentorship can improve an individual ’ s interest for medicine , implicit and explicit bias are not easily overcome by an already struggling minority .
Occasionally , practicing physicians from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds face racism and bias from peers , as also from the patients . In addition , research from the Association of American Medical Colleges suggested that non-white faculty had lower promotion rates than white faculty . Institutional change at academic medical centers must have leaders focus their efforts on developing inclusive , equity-minded environments .
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