Increasing Underrepresented Minority Students in Medical School: a Single-Institution Experience
Kendall M Campbell1, Cedric M Bright2, Irma Corral3
1Department of Family Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA. kemcampb@utmb.edu.
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
|January 28, 2022
Summary
Medical school diversity initiatives increased underrepresented minority applicants. Growth was more significant among applicants from predominantly White institutions, though graduates from historically Black colleges and universities were better prepared.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Healthcare Workforce Diversity
- Medical School Admissions
Background:
- Underrepresented minority (URM) student recruitment initiatives are crucial for achieving equity in medical education.
- Measuring applicant pool growth is key to assessing the impact of diversity strategies on the healthcare workforce.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the growth of the URM applicant pool at the Brody School of Medicine.
- To determine if predominantly White institutions (PWIs) or historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) contributed more to URM applicant growth.
Main Methods:
- Data from 7,848 applicants and 654 matriculants (2016-present) were analyzed.
- Chi-square tests assessed changes in URM proportion among applicants and matriculants post-2016 restructuring.
- Applicant demographics from PWIs versus HBCUs were compared.
Main Results:
- The proportion of URM learners increased from 17% to 20% (p=0.001) after 2016.
- A slight, non-significant increase in URM applicants from PWIs was observed (89% vs. 92%, p=0.097).
Conclusions:
- Applicant pool growth for URMs has been more significant from PWIs.
- HBCU graduates demonstrated better preparation, leading to improved admission chances.
