The outreach effort will start at four universities with the largest number of minority biology majors, racial diversity and affiliation with medical schools. They are California State University, Fresno, Rutgers University, the University of Arizona and the University of Pittsburgh.
The campaign will also target younger students who may not have decided on a major.
The targeted outreach at these schools “will help us understand the dynamics on campus,” says Kevin Harris, director of AAMC’s Division of Diversity Policy and Programs. “It will help us understand how students learn about careers, the channels that exist on campus and how to help them to remain engaged.”
AAMC projects a doctor shortage by 2015, and says more minority physicians are critical to improving overall health care as the country becomes increasingly diverse. While Blacks, Hispanics and American Indians make up 25 percent of the U.S. population, only 12 percent of medical school graduates and just 6 percent of practicing physicians hail from these groups.
— By Dianne Hayes
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
