Racial and Ethnic Underrepresentation in Medicine: Lessons From the Past and a Vision of the Future

Abstract

Southern Illinois University's Medical and Dental Education Program (MEDPREP) has helped nearly 1,000 students underrepresented in medicine matriculate into medical or dental school since its inception in 1972. All MEDPREP students are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, and approximately 90% are African American, Hispanic or Latino, or Native American. The program's success indicates underrepresented students whose undergraduate records deem them unacceptable as prospective medical school students in fact can, with intervention, go on to successfully practice medicine. MEDPREP was founded more than 40 years ago to address underrepresentation of these groups in medicine and on the 25th anniversary of Teaching and Learning in Medicine, we examine the continuing issues surrounding racial and ethnic parity in the ranks of medical education.

Keywords:

• underrepresentation
• race