Racial/Ethnic Diversity

As the nation has become more ethnically and racially diverse, the number of underrepresented minorities admitted to medical schools has stagnated. This comes at a time when racial and ethnic minorities are among the fastest growing segments of society and when they already face significant health disparities.

Studies show minority patients have greater satisfaction and compliance with care received by concordant minority healthcare professionals. Additionally, a diverse medical student body exposes students to different cultural perspectives and contributes to their ability to relate to an increasingly diverse patient population.

Many initiatives have been undertaken to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in medicine. Despite these efforts, current trends suggest more needs to be done.

Archive »Policy Briefs

Underrepresented Minorities in Medicine: The Need for a Diverse Physician Workforce
Significant disparities exist in access to health care for racial and ethnic minorities and also in their representation in the U.S. physician workforce. African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans comprise more than 25% of the U.S. population, yet they account for less than 10% of the physician workforce. Read More...

Archive »Research

The Educational Pipeline for Health Care Professionals: Understanding the Source of Racial Differences
Winter 2010 – Journal of Human Resources
"The underrepresentation of blacks in the healthcare professions may have direct implications for the health outcomes of minority patients, underscoring the importance of understanding movement through the educational pipeline into professional healthcare careers by race. Our results emphasize the importance of pre-collegiate factors and of jointly examining the full chain of educational decisions in understanding the sources of racial disparities in professional healthcare occupations." Read More…

Underrepresentation of Underrepresented Minorities in Academic Medicine: The Need to Enhance the Pipeline and the Pipe
January 2010 - Gastroenterology
"The number of underrepresented minorities (URMs; black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander) among US medical school faculty is markedly low when compared with their respective percent representation of the US population." Read More…

The State of Diversity in the Health Professions A Century After Flexner
February 2010 – Academic Medicine
"Although the 1910 Flexner Report recommended the closure of a large number of operating medical schools, its impact was disproportionately felt on minority schools. The report's recommendations resulted in the closure of five out of seven predominantly black medical schools. Also noteworthy about the report was Flexner's utilitarian argument that black physicians should serve as sanitarians and hygienists for black communities in villages and plantations." Read More…

The Joint Admission Medical Program: A Statewide Approach to Expanding Medical Education and Career Opportunities for Disadvantaged Students
Bernell Dalley, PhD et al., Academic Medicine, October 2009
"The authors provide a brief history of JAMP, describe its structure and operation, summarize objective performance data, and identify some of the challenges still faced. These include increasing the participation of students from underrepresented minority groups within the legal structure for the program, and fostering substantive participation in JAMP by all of Texas' undergraduate institutions." Read More…

Pipeline Programs in the Health Professions, Part 1: Preserving Diversity and Reducing Health Disparities
September 2009 – Journal of the National Medical Association
"Racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the health professions. Affirmative action and educational pipeline programs play a vital role in increasing the diversity of health professions, addressing educational opportunity gaps, and reducing health disparities. Part 1 of this 2-part series discusses the need for educational pipeline programs to assist underrepresented minorities (URMs) in entering the health professions and the importance of these programs in developing a cadre of diverse providers to reduce health care inequality." Read More…

Historically Black Medical Schools: Addressing the Minority Health Professional Pipeline and the Public Mission of Care For Vulnerable Populations
Journal of the National Medical Association, September 2009
"Since the actionable determinants of health such as personal beliefs and behaviors, socioeconomic factors, and the environment disproportionately affect the poor (and often racial/ethnic minorities), many have suggested that focusing efforts on this population will both directly and indirectly improve the overall health of the nation. Key to the success of such strategies are the ongoing efforts by historically black medical schools (HBMSs) as well as other minority serving medical and health professional schools, who produce a disproportionate percentage of the high-quality and diverse health professionals that are dedicated to maintaining the health of an increasingly diverse nation." Read More…

Pipeline Programs in the Health Professions, Part 1: Preserving Diversity and Reducing Health Disparities
Journal of the National Medical Association, September 2009
"Racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the health professions. Affirmative action and educational pipeline programs play a vital role in increasing the diversity of health professions, addressing educational opportunity gaps, and reducing health disparities. Part 1 of this 2-part series discusses the need for educational pipeline programs to assist underrepresented minorities (URMs) in entering the health professions and the importance of these programs in developing a cadre of diverse providers to reduce health care inequality." Read More…

Does the Under- or Overrepresentation of Minority Physicians across Geographical Areas Affect the Location Decisions of Minority Physicians?
August 2009 – Health Services Research
"Racial diversity has recently been the topic of reports by the Sullivan Commission on Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce and the Institute of Medicine (Institute of Medicine 2004; Sullivan Commission 2004). These reports emphasize the importance of racial/ethnic physician–patient concordance in the provision of quality patient care." Read More..

How Leaky is the Health Career Pipeline? Minority Student Achievement in College Gateway Courses
Charles Alexander, PhD, Eric Chen, MPH and Kevin Grumbach, MD. Academic Medicine, June 2009
"Increasing the enrollment of underrepresented minorities (URMs) in the health professions is a challenging and urgent issue. Six percent of nurses, 9% of physicians, and 5% of dentists are of black, Hispanic, or American Indian background, yet these ethnic groups collectively represent one-quarter of the U.S. population. The proportion of URM students in matriculating classes in U.S. medical and dental schools showed no net gain between 1995 and 2005, failing to keep up with the growth in minority populations." Read More…

Supports and Obstacles in the Medical School Application Process for American Indians and Alaska Natives
Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved - May 2009
"Reviews of the evidence on health professions workforce diversity point to several potential strategies to increase the numbers of minorities from underrepresented groups, including AI/ANs. These strategies encompass interventions early in the educational pipeline (e.g., general student academic preparation), to later-stage interventions targeted at both individuals (e.g., career awareness and academic preparation specific to a given health profession) and health professions schools (e.g., admissions policies and institutional climate). Grumbach and colleagues argue that targeting resources at later stages of the pipeline may be the most cost-effective means of increasing the number of underrepresented minority physicians." Read More…

Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine Special Focus on Diversity in Academic Medicine
Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine, December 2008
"The rationale for increasing diversity in medicine has been supported by increasingly strong evidence. Benefits to the medical educational environment, advances in research for minority populations, improved access to healthcare, and improve patient satisfaction,articularly for diverse populations, have been documented in the published literature. Nevertheless, despite nearly 50 years of targeted programs and advocacy, the representation of students and faculty from underrepresented minority (URM) groups in US medical schools remains disturbingly inadequate. Currently, only about 14% of medical students and 7% of faculty in US medical schools are from URM groups." Read More...

Improving the Diversity Climate in Academic Medicine: Faculty Perceptions as a Catalyst for Institutional Change
Academic Medicine, January 2009
"Increasing the diversity of the physician workforce has gained national attention as one of many potential solutions to problems of racial and social class disparities in access to health care. Ethnic minority physicians are more likely to practice in underserved areas and to care for patients of their own race/ethnic group, as well as low-income patients, Medicaid-insured and uninsured patients, and patients with poorer health status. Ethnic minority patients have been shown to experience higher levels of participation and satisfaction with ethnic minority physicians. Thus, a more diverse health care workforce could enhance the health care experiences of ethnic minority patients." Read More…

Archive »Reports

Modest and Uneven: Physician Efforts to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities
February 2010 – Center for Studying Health System Change
"Despite broad consensus among the medical community about how physicians can help to address and, ultimately, reduce racial and ethnic disparities, physician adoption of several recommended practices to improve care for minority patients ranges from 7 percent reporting they have the capability to track patients' preferred language to 40 percent reporting they have received training in minority health issues to slightly more than half reporting their practices provide some interpreter services. The challenges physicians face in providing quality health care to all of their patients will keep mounting as the U.S. population continues to diversify and the minority population increases." Read More…

Number of Underrepresented Minority Physicians Remains Far Less than Corresponding Proportion of New York's Population
March 22, 2010 – University of Albany Center for Health Workforce Studies
"The number of underrepresented minority (URM) physicians has not increased substantially over the past decade and remains far less than their corresponding proportion in the state's population. The study also found that URM physicians are more likely to practice in a primary care specialty and work in hospitals and clinics, and are also more likely to serve patients covered by Medicaid, and work in areas of the state that are federally designated as primary care shortage areas."
To read the summary findings, click here.

Access and Diversity Toolkit
October 2009 – American Council on Education and EducationCounsel

A 21st Century Imperative: Promoting Access and Diversity in Higher Education
October 2009 - American Council on Education and EducationCounsel
"Many 21st-century access and diversity issues face higher education leaders. The 21st-century challenge — and opportunity — facing higher education leaders centers directly on their need to develop effective policies that will advance their core education goals, and to do so in resource efficient ways. To succeed with respect to issues of access and diversity, this means that higher education leaders must do several things well." Read More…

Striving Toward Excellence: Faculty Diversity in Medical Education
November 2009 – Association of American Medical Colleges
"The Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC) report, 'Striving Toward Excellence: Faculty Diversity in Medical Education,' presents an evolutionary paradigm to increase and support faculty diversity that calls on learning institutions "to develop programs not based solely on the current lack of diversity but rather to eradicate inhibitors of institutional excellence." Read More…

Low-Income and Minority Serving Institutions: Management Attention to Long-Standing Concerns Needed to Improve Education's Oversight of Grant Program
August 2009 – Government Accountability Office
"Institutions that serve large proportions of low-income and minority students may receive funding under Titles III and V of the Higher Education Act. In fiscal year 2008, $667 million in grants were awarded to over 500 institutions. GAO was asked to determine (1) the characteristics of institutions eligible to receive grants under Titles III and V and characteristics of students served; (2) any challenges grantees face, and how they spent Title III and V funds to address these challenges; and (3) the extent to which the Department of Education (Education) monitors the financial and programmatic performance of grantees, and uses this information to target its technical assistance." Read More…

The Economic Burden of Health Inequalities in the United States
September 2009 – Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
"This study, commissioned by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and carried out by leading researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland, provides important insight into how much of a financial burden racial disparities are putting on our health care system and society at large." Read More…

A Profile of New York's Underrepresented Minority Physicians
Center for Health Workforce Studies, School of Public Health University at Albany, SUNY, July 2008
"There is growing attention to the importance of diversity – especially racial/ethnic diversity – within the health workforce. However, some racial and ethnic minority groups are substantially underrepresented in the national physician workforce compared to their proportion in the general population. These underrepresented minorities (URMs) include Blacks/African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, and American Indians/Alaska Natives." Read More…

AAMC Analysis in Brief: "After Affirmative Action: Diversity at California Medical Schools"
Association of American Medical Colleges, September 2008
"In 1996, Californians approved Proposition 209, a ballot initiative codifying the elimination of race-conscious admissions at the state's public institutions. The impact of this ballot initiative on racial and ethnic diversity in medical schools has been difficult to determine, although previous research found dramatic reductions in the number of underrepresented minority students who applied, were accepted, and matriculated to California medical schools." Read More...

Top Ten Medical Schools for Hispanic Students, 2008
Hispanic Business Magazine, August 28, 2008
This ranking provides a brief profile of each of the ten schools, including the percent Hispanic graduate enrollment, percent M.D. degrees earned by Hispanics, percent full time Hispanic medical faculty, and a brief description of the University's commitment to diversity how they are achieving this mission. Read More...

More Battles Looming over Affirmative Action
Association of American Medical Colleges - August 2008
"This November, votes in three states could continue to erode the ability of public institutions, including many medical schools, to employ race- and gender-based hiring and admissions policies such as affirmative action." Read More...

Archive »In Legislation/On The Hill

Congressional TriCaucus Introduces Health Disparities Bill
June 26, 2009 – Washington, D.C.
On June 26, members of the Congressional TriCaucus — the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus — introduced the Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2009. The bill outlines some of the TriCaucus priorities for health reform legislation to eliminating racial, ethnic and other disparities in access to health services and health status. Read More...

Congressional Hearing on Health Disparities
June 10, 2008 Washington, D.C. - The House Committee on Ways, Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on Addressing Disparities in Health and Healthcare and Issues for Reform. This is part of an ongoing series of health reform hearings. Read More...

Senate Votes to Approve Indian Health Improvement Act
February 26, 2008 Washington, D.C. – Senate voted 83-10 to approve the Indian Health Improvement Act which authorizes $35 billion over the next 10 years to expand health coverage to approximately 1.8 million American Indian and Alaskan Natives. Read More...

Archive »News

Minority Doctors Needed to Help Bridge Health Care Gap Between US Minorities and Non-Hispanic Whites
March 5, 2010 – Voices of America
"Numerous studies indicate African-Americans and Hispanics receive a poorer quality of health care than non-Hispanic whites, even when they have the same levels of income and health insurance coverage. Researchers say the reasons for this disparity include stereotyping of patients by health care providers, and a severe shortage of minority health care professionals." Read More…

Lecture Examines Health Disparities as Social Justice
January 22, 2010 – Vanderbilt Reporter
"Students, faculty and staff packed Light Hall Monday to hear Wayne Riley, M.D., M.P.H., MBA, deliver the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture on Monday. On the topic of inequities, he shared continued concerns regarding the physician workforce, specifically, that less than 2 percent of U.S. physicians were African-American in 1960 and that, according to the latest data available, only 4 percent of U.S. physicians are African-American and 5 percent Hispanic." Read More…

UMass Medical to Invite Freshmen: Diversity the Goal of Unusual Program
January 25, 2010 – Boston Globe
"The University of Massachusetts Medical School, seeking to bolster the number of minority physicians in Massachusetts, plans to offer high school seniors the rare opportunity to gain admission to college and medical school at the same time." Read More…

More Minority Doctors Needed to Improve Health System, Panel Says
January 19, 2010 – Medill Reports, Northwestern University
"Increasing the number of medical professionals from disadvantaged minority groups could help resolve racial disparities in the American health system, a panel of Illinois doctors and professors agreed Monday. More African American and Hispanic doctors and nurses would help alleviate the problem of inattention to environmental problems, such as poverty, housing and crime, which affect health, said the panel at a Martin Luther King Jr. Day discussion at Northwestern University Law School." Read More…

Surgeon General Calls for More Minority Doctors
December 3, 2009 – Associated Press
"The new U.S. Surgeon General on Thursday called for stepped-up efforts in increasing the number of minority physicians. In what was one of her first speeches to a large crowd since she was sworn in Nov. 3, Dr. Regina Benjamin noted that the proportion of U.S. physicians who are minorities is only 6 percent — the same proportion as a century ago." Read More…

Health Conference Supports Pre-Med Minority Students
November 9, 2009 – The Stanford Daily
"Applying to medical school is daunting to all students, but it may be even more so to students from minority backgrounds. This is recognized by the Stanford chapter of Chicanos in Health Education (CHE), who hosted the 17th annual Dia de Los Muertos Pre-Health Conference on Saturday. The goal of the event was to supply pre-medical and pre-health students of minority groups with information about the application processes for medical school, public health school and dental school." Read More…

Report: Health Care Race Gap Costs Billions
September 18, 2009 – Baltimore Sun
"Minorities are generally sicker and more likely than whites to die of numerous diseases, and until now, medical experts and advocates fighting to close those gaps have made their pleas on moral grounds. But the new figures aim to break down the issue into dollars and cents at a time when everyone is trying to figure out how to rein in soaring health care costs." Read More…

Native American Enrollment Doubles at School of Medicine
The University of New Mexico Today - July 23, 2009
"Twice as many Native Americans were accepted into UNM's School of Medicine (SOM) in 2009 than in any previous class. Five of the nine accepted students graduated from New Mexico high schools; three attended UNM as undergraduates; and two have accepted full School of Medicine tuition scholarships. More than half of the new SOM students had received offers from other medical schools." Read More…

Shortage of Hispanic MDs in California Exacerbates Health Issues
Hispanic Business - July 9, 2009
"Although Hispanics make up a third of California's population, they constitute just 5 percent of the state's pool of physicians, according to a 2008 study by the Center for California Health Workforce Studies. Health officials say the shortage is problematic because Hispanic doctors are many times more likely than non-Hispanic doctors to work in areas where healthcare services are lacking. They're also more likely to practice primary care, a branch of medicine that is lagging as medical students flock to the more lucrative specialty fields." Read More…

Tribal Members Recruited into Medical Fields
Arizona Republic - April 27, 2009
"The need for Native Americans in the health-care professions has never been greater, but the obstacles standing between them and medical degrees are often daunting, if not overwhelming. For a young Hopi medical student, the problem was overcoming her culture's view of handling a dead body. For a Navajo student, it was learning to believe that he could become a doctor when every other kid in his graduating class was going to a trade school." Read More...

Mentors Inspire Next Generation of Physicians
Ventura County Star - May 3, 2009
"Latinos make up more than 32 percent of California's population but only 5 percent of its doctors. If the University of California system's five medical schools accepted only minority students beginning next year, it would take about four decades to produce enough doctors to match the state's overall diversity. Money is another wall. About 60 percent of the nation's medical students come from the wealthiest 20 percent of the nation's families. The cost of medical schools across the nation increased 11 percent a year from 2001 to 2006." Read More…

Doctors and diversity: A study finds minority groups are greatly underrepresented in New York
Times Union - March 29, 2009
"Minority groups are substantially underrepresented in New York's physician work force compared to their share of the general population, according to a study from the University at Albany. These groups, African-Americans, Hispanics/Latinos and American Indians/Alaska Natives have been underrepresented in the field for years." Read More…

UC Regents Move Towards Easing Admissions Requirements
Los Angeles Times - February 5, 2009
"University of California regents Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a controversial change in freshman admission standards that would drop the requirement for two SAT subject exams and make more students eligible for a review of their applications while guaranteeing entry to fewer. The change is considered among the most sweeping admissions policy shifts by the university in years." Read More…

Developing Diversity: Dr. Wesley McNeese succeeds in Bringing Wider Community to SIU
The State Journal Register, October 18, 2008
"The school has established ground-breaking programs designed to bring caring, competent physicians to central and southern Illinois. Still, while programs that broke with tradition were conceived and designed at SIU School of Medicine, for years the innovations were held within the walls of the school. The broader communities did not see it. The new doctors looked just like the old doctors — predominately male and white. Excellent physicians, but doctors cut mostly from a single mold." Read More...

Helping Young Minorities See They Can Be Doctors
New York Times, October 18, 2008
"When 15-year-old Alexis Cloud was in the eighth grade, she told her social studies teacher that she wanted to become a doctor...her teacher was not exactly heartening, telling Alexis that becoming a doctor would require many years of school. But on Saturday, Alexis, was among about 500 black and Latino students who got a different message during a forum here aimed at encouraging minorities to pursue careers in medicine." Read More...

Medical Education Futures Study

George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services

Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation