More non-white medical students are graduating, but representation gaps remain

Medical school graduates are now more racially diverse than before, but they’re still not representative of the general population, according to new research. Scientists looked at data from 2002-2017, and found that the proportions of male and female students who were black, Hispanic, Asian, Native Hawaiian, or from other Pacific Islands increased. At the same time, proportions of white male and female students decreased, while the number of American Indian students remained stable. Still, compared to the U.S. general population, white and Asian students were overrepresented in medical schools, while black, American Indian, and Hispanic students were underrepresented — despite new guidelines from a national accreditation agency a decade ago to encourage diversity. Representation among female black students seemed to decrease. The authors urge for more effective policies to diversify the medical workforce.