A new study has revealed that HBCU students face greater challenges than other groups when trying to attend medical school.
The study, led by Dr. Jasmine Weiss, sought to uncover the issues HBCU scholars face when pursuing their medical degrees. Noting the “tedious path” to entering medical school, Weiss spoke directly to advisors to better understand their challenges.
“We wanted to hear directly from advisors working with HBCU students from the time they enter college to understand the struggles and obstacles the students are facing as they navigate the tedious path to medical school,” explained Weiss, who works as an assistant professor of pediatrics at the UNC School of Medicine.
Weiss and her co-authors interviewed 26 premedical advisors at HBCUs to provide insight for the qualitative study. The advisors then shared their thoughts on the barriers and facilitators for Black premed students entering medical school.
The conversations led Weiss to discover three major recurring themes. The first was the relationship dynamics between HBCUs and medical schools. Weiss emphasized that schools must consider Black and Brown students’ underrepresentation more.
“There is so much room for PWI medical schools to engage directly with HBCUs and their students if they are serious about attracting and more importantly enrolling the best and brightest students into their respective student bodies; because unfortunately Black and Brown students are still sorely underrepresented in our physician workforce,” Weiss said.
Second, preferential treatment was given to those who attended predominantly white institutions (PWIs). The treatment stemmed from the assessment of clinical shadowing opportunities. Lastly, the emphasis on family and peer involvement, colloquially described as “taking a village,” remains important for students embarking on the journey to becoming doctors.
With only 5.7% of U.S. physicians identifying as Black, the need for more Black doctors remains essential. Incorporating a greater emphasis on Black medical students’ enrollment and successful journey continues to be a focus. Moreover, as nearly 70% of these doctors attended HBCUs, strengthening these relationships should take priority.
“HBCUs are an essential engine in the production of Black physicians in the U.S., by producing a vast number of medical school applicants, and by training physicians,” concluded the study. “By not addressing barriers for undergraduate students at HBCUs, medical schools and the medical field are missing critical opportunities to welcome unique insights into their communities and the field of medicine.”
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