[Skip to Content]
[Skip to Content Landing]

Diversity in Medical SchoolsA Much-Needed New Beginning

Educational Objective
To understand the necessity for medical schools to add to the diversity of their students in order to improve public health
1 Credit CME

The disproportionate effect of the novel coronavirus on African Americans and communities of color has shone a new light on the more than century-old struggle to increase the number of Black physicians in the US. Today, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), Black physicians account for 5% of all physicians even though African Americans comprise 13% of the US population. Only 1626 (7.4%) of the 21 863 students who entered medical school in 2019 were Black, roughly the same ratio as the last 15 years.1

Sign in to take quiz and track your certificates

Buy This Activity

JN Learning™ is the home for CME and MOC from the JAMA Network. Search by specialty or US state and earn AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ from articles, audio, Clinical Challenges and more. Learn more about CME/MOC

CME Disclosure Statement: Unless noted, all individuals in control of content reported no relevant financial relationships. If applicable, all relevant financial relationships have been mitigated.

Article Information

Corresponding Author: Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Dr, Atlanta, GA 30310 (vmrice@msm.edu).

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

References
1.
Association of American Medical Colleges. AAMC Facts: Table A-9: Matriculants to US Medical Schools by Race, Selected Combinations of Race/Ethnicity and Sex, 2017-2018 Through 2020-2021. Published 2020. Accessed December 2, 2020. https://www.aamc.org/system/files/2020-10/2020_FACTS_Table_A-9.pdf
2.
Campbell  KM , Corral  I , Infante Linares  JL , Tumin  D .  Projected estimates of African American medical graduates of closed historically Black medical schools.   JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(8):e2015220. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.15220PubMedGoogle Scholar
3.
Liaison Committee on Medical Education. Accredited MD programs in the United States. Updated October 20, 2020. Accessed December 2, 2020. https://lcme.org/directory/accredited-u-s-programs/
4.
Association of American Medical Colleges. AAMC Facts: Table B-5.1: Total Enrollment by US Medical School and Race/Ethnicity (Alone), 2020-2021. Published 2020. Accessed December 2, 2020. https://www.aamc.org/system/files/2020-11/2020_FACTS_Table_B-5.1.pdf
5.
Association of American Medical Colleges. Using MCAT Data in 2021 Medical Student Selection. Published 2020. Accessed December 2, 2020. https://www.aamc.org/system/files/2020-07/services_mcat_using-mcat-data-in-2021-medical-student-selection-guide_07082020_0.pdf
6.
Elks  ML , Herbert-Carter  J , Smith  M , Klement  B , Knight  BB , Anachebe  NF .  Shifting the curve: fostering academic success in a diverse student body.   Acad Med. 2018;93(1):66-70. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000001783PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
7.
Association of American Medical Colleges. AAMC Applicant Matriculant Data File as of August 13, 2020. Association of American Medical Colleges; 2020.
8.
Greenwood  BN , Hardeman  RR , Huang  L , Sojourner  A .  Physician-patient racial concordance and disparities in birthing mortality for newborns.   Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020;117(35):21194-21200. doi:10.1073/pnas.1913405117PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
9.
National Center for Education Statistics. Table 313.20: Fall Enrollment in Degree-Granting Historically Black Colleges and Universities, by Sex of Student and Level and Control of Institution: Selected Years, 1976 Through 2018. Accessed December 2, 2020. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d18/tables/dt18_313.20.asp
10.
Association of American Medical Colleges. National AAMC Special Report on the Number of All HBCU Graduates Who Applied, Matriculated, and Graduated From US Medical Schools [1988-2017]. Association of American Medical Colleges; 2018.
AMA CME Accreditation Information

Credit Designation Statement: The American Medical Association designates this Journal-based CME activity activity for a maximum of 1.00  AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to:

  • 1.00 Medical Knowledge MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;;
  • 1.00 Self-Assessment points in the American Board of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery’s (ABOHNS) Continuing Certification program;
  • 1.00 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics’ (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program;
  • 1.00 Lifelong Learning points in the American Board of Pathology’s (ABPath) Continuing Certification program; and
  • 1.00 credit toward the CME of the American Board of Surgery’s Continuous Certification program

It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting MOC credit.

Close
Want full access to the AMA Ed Hub?
After you sign up for AMA Membership, make sure you sign in or create a Physician account with the AMA in order to access all learning activities on the AMA Ed Hub
Buy this activity
Close
Want full access to the AMA Ed Hub?
After you sign up for AMA Membership, make sure you sign in or create a Physician account with the AMA in order to access all learning activities on the AMA Ed Hub
Buy this activity
Close
With a personal account, you can:
  • Access free activities and track your credits
  • Personalize content alerts
  • Customize your interests
  • Fully personalize your learning experience
Education Center Collection Sign In Modal Right
Close

Name Your Search

Save Search
With a personal account, you can:
  • Access free activities and track your credits
  • Personalize content alerts
  • Customize your interests
  • Fully personalize your learning experience
Close
Close

Lookup An Activity

or

My Saved Searches

You currently have no searches saved.

Close

My Saved Courses

You currently have no courses saved.

Close