Dive Brief:
- Xavier University in New Orleans has used a variety of strategies to develop a record of graduating the second highest number of black pre-med students in the country, according to the region’s newspaper.
- The Times-Picayune reported that the small, private, Catholic, historically black university used an approach that identifies, supports and coaches students showing an interest in medical careers freshman year and earlier. It reaches out to high school students to inform them about support that is available and helps enrollees at every step, also resulting in a high acceptance rate to medical schools.
- The university's president, says the institution, has prioritized understanding the educational disadvantages some students have and adjusting programs to meet their needs — particularly STEM programs.
Dive Insight
In 2017 Xavier graduated 103 pre-med students who identified as being either black or African American, second only to Howard University, a HBCU in Washington, D.C., which had 118, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
The Times Picayune reported that the number of black or African-American female students graduating from medical programs in the U.S. has increased about 53% over the last three decades, but the number of black men graduating dropped 39% over the same period. It also reported that studies show that a diverse population of doctors can result in better health outcomes for patients and that minority physicians are more likely to work in underserved communities.
AAMC also has reported that in recent years white and Asian students made up almost 80% of medical school graduates and blacks only about 5%. "Specifically, when it comes to African-Americans, we have historically been very underrepresented in medical education. I see programs like Xavier helping bridge that gap,” said Lawrence Cresswell, a graduate of the program who mentors participating students.
A report from Inside Higher Education based on data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center shows enrolled white and Asian students completed medical training at similar rates — about 63%, but Hispanic and black students graduated at rates of about 46% and 38%, respectively.
Enrollment in graduate school has increased for African-Americans and Latinos, and now minorities make up about 23% of first-year graduate students. But the number of international students in graduate programs has declined.