US Medical Schools Grapple With First Admissions Since End of Affirmative Action.

AFFIRMATIVE action programs in education; UNITED States. Supreme Court; UNIVERSITY & college admission; ASSOCIATION of American Medical Colleges; BLACK youth; MEDICAL schools; AFFIRMATIVE action programs; MEDICAL students; STUDENT loan debt; STUDENT loans

American medical schools are facing their first major challenge since the US Supreme Court's decision to outlaw race-based college admissions. In response, efforts are being made to address the impact on the pipeline for future Black doctors. The National Medical Association is raising money for a new scholarship, and the Association of American Medical Colleges is getting involved in K-12 education for the first time. Underrepresentation of Black doctors has long been a problem, and the ruling has highlighted the need to eliminate systemic obstacles throughout the education process. The disparities begin in early education, where Black students have less access to advanced mathematics and science courses. The likelihood of Black college students continuing to medical school is closely linked to where they do their undergraduate studies, with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) producing a disproportionate share of Black graduates. However, HBCUs have warned that the influx of applications following the ruling could strain their resources. The cost of medical school is also a significant barrier, with a quarter of medical students coming from the richest 5% of households. Black non-Hispanic graduates face a heavier burden of debt compared to students of other races. Efforts are being made to raise funds for scholarships to address the shortage of Black doctors in the US. The end of affirmative action makes it even more critical to boost representation of Black students in medical schools. [Extracted from the article]

Copyright of Bloomberg.com is the property of Bloomberg, L.P. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)