In a Post-Covid World, Black Students Enter Medical Schools in High Numbers
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January 10, 2022
In the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, a number of U.S medical schools are seeing a significant rise in the number of Black students applying and graduating. Because of interest inth field and demand for medical essential workers the number of first-year African Americans has risen by 21 percent since 2020. Many second-generation immigrants to the US., especially form Haiti, Nigeria, and Ethiopia are being encouraged to go to medical school since the aftermath of the pandemic, by their families.
For these families, having their children pursue a career as a physician, will not only help secure then financially in the U.S., but will help the next generation gain skills and knowledge that will be essential to the communities who need it the most. The has also been a sharp increase in interest in medical missionary work by young members of the Black community. The need to serve has become infectious since hospital across the U.S. began to have overcrowded emergency rooms in 2020. At Tufts' Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts, the number of new students who identify as Black or African American jumped from nine percent to twenty six percent over the past year. This increase had led to an inevitable change in terms of diversity at these institutions, especially since these changes has happened relatively quickly.
Make it stand out
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Diversity in the medical profession, or the lack there of, is just one of the of the many institutional issues that plague the history of abuse, violence, and mistrust that Black people around the world have, when it comes to medical research and treatment. However, the increase of black and brown faces on medical school campuses, are an encouraging sign of inclusion and change. It helps medical patients of all backgrounds feel that they are being listened to and cared for. As critically acclaimed director Ava DuVernay says “when we're talking about diversity, it's not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us.” Many medical schools are attempting to address the health disparities afflicting Black people worldwide by updating their admissions process, making access and inclusion easier for students who are interested in becoming doctors. This is important for students who are second generation immigrants who in many cases can experience and activities to their applications, as well as having their application fees waived. Living in a post-Covid world, the increase in Black medical students may also be due to allowing more students to interview remotely, which gives admissions committees to have a face-to-face exchange with potential graduates.
According to the Dean for Multicultural Affairs and Global Health at Tufts, Joyce Sackey, “the ongoing racial reckoning has served as inspiration for admissions officers to redouble their diversity efforts.” However, the economic disparities that affect the black community are still a large hindrance to black enrollment at the graduate level. The financial turmoil extends to students yearning to become doctors, since many scholarships that medical schools give are for merit and not based on need. Many black families still encourage their children to enter in to the medical field, even with the possibility of high student loan debt may follow then throughout their life, because of the financial incentive of holding a medical degree with have on the back end. However, many Millennial and Gen Z students don’t want to take this financial risk and are turned off from even applying. Even with all of these obstacles, the increase in numbers is unmistakable. “The gains in medical school enrollment of students from underrepresented groups are encouraging, but there is still much more work to be done, including increasing the representation of American Indian and Alaska Native communities to ensure that our nation’s diversity is reflected in the future physician workforce,” said Geoffrey Young, PhD, AAMC senior director, transforming health care workforce.”
