FP Report -- February 1999 Help minority children say, 'I want to be a doctor when I grow up'
Many schools, organizations and specialty societies are working to address lagging minority applications to medical school, and you can, too.
What's going on? The Association of American Medical Colleges has made a crusade of working for medical school diversity. "We've been trying to speak out as much as possible and make the case that it's important," said Herbert Nickens, M.D., vice president for community and minority programs.
The AAMC works to diffuse affirmative action battles while promoting various programs in its Project 3000 by 2000, an education reform effort with the goal of graduating 3,000 underrepresented minorities annually by the year 2000. A major component of the project aims to intervene early in the educational process, provide exposure to the health professions, improve student achievement and ultimately boost test scores. "Addressing the dramatic educational disparities is the real target," Nickens said. "Test scores are what allow folks attacking affirmative action to have something very tangible they can point to."
According to official AAFP policy, the Academy is "highly supportive" of programs that work to increase minority applications and admissions to medical school. In addition, the AAFP's Committee on Special Constituencies is exploring opportunities to encourage member participation in outreach programs designed to increase minority involvement in the medical professions. It's also developing alliances with minority health organizations to collaborate on mentoring initiatives targeting minority high school students.
"It's imperative that medical school classes reflect the diversity of the community to meet all the public health needs," said committee member Donnie Batie, M.D., of Baton Rouge, La.
What can you do? The AAMC's Nickens said medical students historically have led the charge for changes in the educational system. Speak up about the need for diversity on campus, make sure your admissions committee is addressing the decline in minority enrollment and get informed about the issues so you can counter attacks on affirmative action.
Nickens also encouraged students and residents to participate in programs that work with schoolchildren. "Students and residents have a particularly important role," he said. "Because of their age and numbers, they're well positioned to be mentors and buddies to the kids in these programs. Whether the students and residents are minorities isn't important. I think it's criticial for these kids to have somebody who pays attention to them and listens to them and talks to them about what they can grow up to become."
FP Report is published by the AAFP News Department. Copyright © 1999 by American Academy of Family Physicians.
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