Programs of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to develop minority medical careers

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted to health. The foundation long has been concerned about increasing diversity in the health professions. Between 1972 and 1981, grants totaling nearly $6.7 million were made to medical, medical/dental schools, or other educational organizations to support minority students. Funds enabled students who were interested in applying to medical or dental school to enroll in special preparatory courses. Most students were African American. One program, however, targeted US Puerto Rican students and other Hispanic students. Nearly 2500 students enrolled in these preapplication enrichment programs. Data reported to the foundation on medical or dental school acceptance for 1959 of these students indicated that 57% of students were successful. An additional $10.5 million in grants were awarded during this period: $2.5 million to provide scholarships for minority group medical students, $580,000 to support preceptorships with minority physicians/mentors, and $7.5 million to strengthen Meharry Medical College's Comprehensive Primary Care Health Science Program. In the early 1980s, the RWJF Board of Trustees considered a series of staff analyses, which resulted in additional direct support to historically black medical schools, including Meharry and those at Drew University and Morehouse College. These analyses also set the stage for two RWJF programs, the Minority Medical Faculty Development Program and the Minority Medical Education Program, which exist today. This article describes these programs, along with the more recent Health Professions Partners Initiative, and offers reflection and analysis about their impact on diversity in the medical profession.