Minorities in-Medicine AAMC

1. Minorities in Medicine
AMA Medical Student Section
Minority Issues Committee

2. Overview
• Definitions
• Myths
• Facts and Figures
• Solutions
• What WE (MIC) can do

3. Definitions
• Old definition: Underrepresented minority
(URM): Including only African-Americans, Mexican-
Americans, Native Americans, and mainland Puerto
Ricans
• After Supreme Court’s decision in Grutter ruling
6/2003: Underrepresented in medicine means those
racial and ethnic populations that are
underrepresented in the medical profession relative
to their numbers in the general population
www.aamc.org/meded/urm/statusofnewdefinition.pdf

4. Myths
• Minorities aren’t as smart as majorities.
• Intelligence is individual, not ethnic.
• Minority med students are not qualified.
• Many minorities matriculate with better credentials than
majority peers.
• Minority students can’t handle standardized tests.
• There is a greater correlation between psychosocial
factors and clinical performance, than test scores.
Taking My Place in Medicine: A Guide for Minority Medical Students by Carmen Webb (2000).

5. Disappointing facts
• Minorities have 3-5x higher rates of
requiring an extra year to finish medical
school and of failing national board
exams on first sitting
• 1997 Minority Retention rates: 88%
compared to 97% for all students.
http://www.amsa.org/pdf/study_meded.PDF

6. Facts
• Minority patients choose minority physicians.
• By 2050, racial and ethnic minorities will
comprise half of the U.S. population!
• In 2004, Blacks, Hispanics/Latinos, and Native
Americans = 6.4% of all docs from U.S.
allopathic medical schools.
• The 2000 U.S. Census data showed Blacks,
Hispanics/Latinos, and Native Americans = 26%
of the U.S. population.
https://services.aamc.org/Publications/showfile.cfm?file=version79.pdf&prd_id=161&prv_id=191&pdf_id=79

7. Facts (cont.)
https://services.aamc.org/Publications/showfile.cfm?file=version120.pdf&prd_id=239&prv_id=295&pdf_id=120

8. Facts (cont.)
https://services.aamc.org/Publications/showfile.cfm?file=version120.pdf&prd_id=239&prv_id=295&pdf_id=120

9. Facts (cont.)

10. Facts (cont.)
(2006 total physicians = 921,904)
Race/Ethnicity Number Percentage
White 514,254 55.8
Black 32,452 3.5
Hispanic 46,214 5.0
Asian 113,585 12
American Native/Alaska
1,444 .02
Native
Other 12,572 1.4
Unknown 201,383 22

11. Facts (cont.)

12. Solutions
• Diversity in the physician workforce
contributes to increased access to health
care for the underserved.
• 2005 National Healthcare Disparities
Report:
• Increasing diversity in the health care
workforce has been cited as a solution to
narrowing the healthcare disparities gap
disproportionately experienced by racial and
ethnic minorities and individuals of low
socioeconomic status.

13. Solutions (cont.)
• The presence of mentors and strong,
positive role models may help ensure the
success of racial and ethnic minority
medical students, physicians, and
physician-scientists.
• Research dedicated to diseases having
disproportionate impact on minorities, and
increasing the number of physicians
serving in underserved communities.
https://services.aamc.org/Publications/showfile.cfm?file=version120.pdf&prd_id=239&prv_id=295&pdf_id=120

14. Solutions (cont.)
• The AAMC-AMA Liaison Committee on
Medical Education (LCME):
• Medical schools are encouraged to pursue
actively the expansion of minority student
support funds from local, state and federal
levels. The AAMC is making known to the
American public and to the federal government
these needs to increase financial aid for
minority students and for all students.
http://www.aamc.org/students/minorities/minoritystatement.htm

15. What can we do?
• Contact multicultural resource center/minority
affairs/comm service prgrams for stats about
school/local community.
• Email minority professors/physicians about
being involved w/ mentoring/admissions.
• Showcases minority physician trajectories.
• Mentor undergrad pipeline organizations,
become involved with
NNLAMS/SNMA/LMSA.

16. What can we do? (cont.)
• Seek test-prep resources/consultations to
make available to minorities for free.
• Research diseases having
disproportionate minority impact.
• Reach out to underserved while in school
and beyond (tutoring, outreach programs,
free health screenings in local
community).

17. Resources
• AMA resources:
www.ama-assn.org/go/chapterresources
• AMA Doctors Back to School Program:
www.ama-assn.org/go/dbts
• AAMC minority resources:
www.aamc.org/students/minorities/resources/start.htm
• Scholarships, Awards, Financial Aid:
www.aamc.org/students/minorities/scholarships.htm