Obenzinger Project: Lack of Minority Physicians

African Americans comprise 13% of the U.S. population, yet they make up a mere 4% of the United States physician population. Why is it that American doctors do not “look like” the American population?  It has been suggested that the lack of diversity in the physician workforce stems from the fact that African American middle school and high school students are less likely to consider medicine as a career option, in part because they lack role-models or have had insufficient exposure to medicine as a profession. This project attempted to examine whether minority middle school and high school students are considering careers in medicine and if not, what might be the reasons for the decision not to pursue medical school.  Interviews asking about career plans were conducted with 22 students representing various gender, racial, and ethnic groups (12 African American, 5 Hispanic, 3 Caucasian, 1 “mixed,” and 1 failing to disclose). The results revealed that 42% of the African American students believed that “racism in the medical field” was the main reason for the lack of minority physicians, while the white students believed that “financial constraints” and “length of time it takes to become a physician” explained the lack of physician diversity in the workforce. Most students interviewed had never met an African American or Hispanic physician.  Conclusions that can be drawn are limited by the small sample of convenience.