Blog Archives

Numbers of Black and Hispanic Medical School Matriculants Have Declined, a Problem that May Intensify

A recent piece by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) predicts that numbers of underrepresented minorities in medical school may dwindle further amid recent executive orders regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion in federally funded programs. 

After the 2024 Supreme Court ruling that race-conscious college admissions policies violated the 14th Amendment, numbers of Black and Hispanic matriculants to medical school fell by double-digit percentages compared with the previous year. 

This downswing was particularly troubling, considering that higher proportions of Black primary care doctors are correlated with longer life expectancy and lower mortality rates for Black individuals, according to a 2023 JAMA Network research article. Furthermore, a variety of studies have shown insidious biases against Black patients.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, in 2024-5, Black medical school enrollees declined 11.6% and students of Hispanic origin fell 10.8%. The decline in enrollment of American Indian or Alaska Native students was 22.1%. New Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander enrollment declined 4.3%.

Here is the KFF piece.

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Diversity in Medical School?

The AAMC recently published a piece about racial, socioeconomic, and gender diversity in 2023-4 medical school classes. The good news is that there’s some more representation of those from Latino and Native American backgrounds. 

African-American student enrollment remained mostly stable.

Women matriculants rose slightly to 56.6%. Economic diversity was still a problem. See the article here for details.

Interestingly, those who entered medical school in 2023-4 had a median undergraduate GPA of 3.84, which was even higher than in previous years.

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Studies Show that Physicians are More Likely to Use Negative Terms in Black Patients’ Medical Charts

Here’s a disturbing and important New York Times article detailing two studies showing that physicians were more likely to use negative language in the medical record about Black patients than about those of other races. 

Medical notes from emergency departments and inpatient settings were more likely to use this pejorative language, possibly because of a lack of long-standing relationships with patients.

Along these lines, a term like “refused” should not be used in the medical record. If we, as medical professionals, believe the patient is truly in charge of his/her body, “declined” is an appropriate replacement. 

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About Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Michelle Finkel

Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more

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