North Carolina Central University News August 5, 2015 NCCU Program Addresses Shortage of Minority Doctors A new report by the Association of American Medical Colleges shows the country has fallen far behind in producing minority physicians - a need that North Carolina Central University is addressing through its Early Medical School Selection Program. The program is offered in conjunction with Boston University Medical School and rewards talented, hard working pre-med students with enhanced preparation as undergraduates and provisional early acceptance to medical school. "Medical school is so competitive," said Kaye Thompson-Rogers, Ph.D., director of the Health Careers Center at NCCU. "You may have done everything you needed to do, yet still not get in because so many students are applying. The early selection program provides a better opportunity because the medical school professors get to know in advance who you are and what you can do." According to the AAMC report, 25 percent of the U.S. population consists of African-Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans, but only about 6 percent of physicians come from those minority backgrounds. There are several reasons to encourage more minority students to attend medical school, according to the report. These include an increased likelihood of patient cooperation and satisfaction when a patient sees a physician they say they can relate to, through ethnic background or other factors. Minority doctors also are more likely to practice in areas underserved by the medical profession: the AAMC report states that 51 percent of new African-American medical school graduates choose underserved communities compared to only 18 percent of white graduates. Barriers to medical school attendance for minorities include limited sources of funding, less pre-college coaching and preparation, and unfamiliarity with medical school culture and requirements. NCCU students Jyla Hicks and Karol Serafin-Molina recently were accepted into the early selection program and spent several weeks this summer taking classes at Boston University. The goal is to encourage rigorous undergraduate preparation and provide early exposure to medical school coursework and culture. They also learn study and time-management skills that are crucial for success in medical school and specific skills such as medical terminology during their time as undergraduates. The early-selection students spend their entire senior year at Boston University, while still paying NCCU tuition. Samantha Kaplan, M.D., who is assistant dean of Diversity and Multiculturalism at BU Medical School, said these are important factors in helping aspiring doctors make it to the finish line and earn the M.D. Kaplan said BU started the program several years ago to expand the number of minority students attending its medical programs. "We decided to go to places where we would find large populations of intelligent and highly skilled students who were interested in pursuing medical careers," Kaplan said. A more diverse student body even helps prepare other doctors to serve patients from a variety of backgrounds, she added. "Data from medical schools shows that a diverse student body encourages all students to feel better prepared," she said. "That goes for rural, urban, black, white - all differences. Every dialogue brings an additional perspective." To read more about the NCCU-Boston University program, visit: http://bit.ly/1IHIFim<http://www.nccu.edu/news/bit.ly/1IHIFim>. For a copy of the Association of American Medical Colleges report, visit aamc.org SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-702-5854 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.