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Study: Med schools lack diversity
BY AMY THOMSON
STAFF WRITER
Minorities are underrepresent
ed nationwide in health care and
medical schools, according to a
report published by a medical pol
icy group, but officials at many
schools in North Carolina say
they’re doing a good job of recruit
ing a diverse group of students.
The Institute of Medicine’s
report, released Friday, indicated
that although diversity in these
educational areas benefits stu
dents and patients, current admis
sions policies in medical pro
grams, among other things, are
preventing minorities from enter
ing the field.
“The numbers indicate we have
a marked disparity in the number
of minority health care personnel
as compared with demographic
numbers,” said Lonnie R. Bristow,
chairman of the committee that
produced the report and carried
out the two-year study on which it
was based.
American Indians, blacks,
Hispanics and some groups of
Asians and Pacific Islanders were
listed as being underrepresented in
medical professions.
Blacks, for example, constitute
12 percent of the population but
only 2 percent of medical person
nel, Bristow said.
Since 1990, 171 University of North Carolina at
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The reasons for the discrepancy
vary. One problem, according to
the report, is that not as many stu
dents from disadvantaged and
minority groups make it into high
er education. Cultural factors,
impoverished school systems and
low motivation all were listed as
causes of the gap.
For these reasons, Bristow said,
tests such as the Medical School
Entrance Exam, which usually see
lower scores for minorities, aren’t
necessarily a fair determination of
a student’s ability.
Instead, the committee conclud
ed that schools should look more
closely at the community involve
ment, leadership skills and compas
sion demonstrated by applicants.
Georgette Dent, associate dean
for student affairs at the UNC-
Chapel Hill School of Medicine,
said the school already has made
strides in increasing minority
involvement compared with the
rest of the state and nation.
The University boasts the
nation’s ninth highest percentage
of black graduates from its medical
programs and the fifth highest per
centage of American Indian grad
uates, according to a 1998 survey
by the Association of American
Medical Colleges.
It also sponsors the Medical
Education Development Program,
apply online at teachforamerica.org
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“The numbers indicate we have a
marked disparity in the number of
minority health care personnel.”
LONNIE R. BRISTOW, INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
which focuses on recruiting disad
vantaged and underrepresented
minorities. Students come in dur
ing summer for what Dent called a
“mini med school.”
Dent said that the program has
proven a good gauge for how well a
student will perform in medical
school and that its participants
have gone on to be recruited by
medical programs all over the
United States.
East Carolina University and an
affiliated school, the Brody School
of Medicine, also claim to have
minority-promoting programs
already in place.
James Peden, associate dean of
admissions for the school, said 21
percent to 24 percent of students
accepted into the medical program
are members of underrepresented
groups. This year, exactly one of
four were members of those
groups.
But in the past few years, the
percentage of minority applicants
at Brody has dropped, he said,
adding that he wasn’t sure of the
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News
cause.
Brenda Armstrong, associate
dean and director of medical
school admissions at Duke
University, said the drop-off in
minority students is apparent
across the country.
“There’s not a whole lot of incen
tive for students to choose medi
cine,” she said.
Loans are replacing student aid,
she added, and scholarships are
putting the long and costly educa
tion required for a medical degree
out of reach for a “population that
can’t stand the losses.”
Armstrong also said the pool of
students bright enough to attend
medical school is being reduced by
recruitment from business
schools.
Duke’s medical school doesn’t
have a minority affairs office, but
Armstrong said that’s because it’s
not necessary. “Minority affairs
(are) everyone’s concern.”
Contact the State & National
Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.
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