Abstract
PURPOSE: African Americans comprise 13% of Americans but only 4% of U.S. physicians. The reasons for this disparity are unclear. The purpose of this study was to identify African-American high-school student perspectives on barriers to African Americans pursuing careers in medicine. METHOD: Focus group interviews (consisting of 15 questions) were conducted of African-American high-school juniors attending a Milwaukee public high school in which 89% of students are African Americans. The two focus groups were conducted in 2006, transcribed and analyzed using grounded theory. RESULTS: The 12 students interviewed in two focus groups had a mean age of 17 years; 41% of students' parents were high-school graduates. Major barriers to becoming a physician cited by students included financial constraints, lack of knowledge about medicine, little/no encouragement at home or in school, negative peer views on excelling academically, lack of African-American role models in the community and on TV, racism in medicine, and easier and more appealing alternatives for making money. Students stated that increasing the number of African-American physicians would enhance patient-physician communication and relationships, and more African Americans would become physicians if there were greater exposure to medicine in schools, more guidance at a younger age and more role models. CONCLUSION: Financial constraints, insufficient exposure to medicine as a career, little encouragement at home and in schools, lack of role models, and negative peer pressure may contribute to racial disparities in the physician workforce for African Americans. Exposure at a young age to role models and to medicine as a profession might increase the number of African American physicians.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Clawson D. K. Challenges and opportunities of racial diversity in medical education. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 1999 May;(362):34–39. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cohen Jordan J., Gabriel Barbara A., Terrell Charles. The case for diversity in the health care workforce. Health Aff (Millwood) 2002 Sep-Oct;21(5):90–102. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.21.5.90. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Cohen Jordan J. The consequences of premature abandonment of affirmative action in medical school admissions. JAMA. 2003 Mar 5;289(9):1143–1149. doi: 10.1001/jama.289.9.1143. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Hall F. R., Mikesell C., Cranston P., Julian E., Elam C. Longitudinal trends in the applicant pool for U.S. medical schools, 1974--1999. Acad Med. 2001 Aug;76(8):829–834. doi: 10.1097/00001888-200108000-00017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Kitzinger J. Qualitative research. Introducing focus groups. BMJ. 1995 Jul 29;311(7000):299–302. doi: 10.1136/bmj.311.7000.299. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Komaromy M., Grumbach K., Drake M., Vranizan K., Lurie N., Keane D., Bindman A. B. The role of black and Hispanic physicians in providing health care for underserved populations. N Engl J Med. 1996 May 16;334(20):1305–1310. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199605163342006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Libby D. L., Zhou Z., Kindig D. A. Will minority physician supply meet U.S. needs? Health Aff (Millwood) 1997 Jul-Aug;16(4):205–214. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.16.4.205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Nickens H. W., Ready T. P., Petersdorf R. G. Project 3000 by 2000. Racial and ethnic diversity in U.S. medical schools. N Engl J Med. 1994 Aug 18;331(7):472–476. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199408183310712. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Reede Joan Y. A recurring theme: the need for minority physicians. Health Aff (Millwood) 2003 Jul-Aug;22(4):91–93. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.22.4.91. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rivo M. L., Kindig D. A. A report card on the physician work force in the United States. N Engl J Med. 1996 Apr 4;334(14):892–896. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199604043341405. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Veal Keith, Perry Michael, Stavisky Judith, Herbert Kim D'Abreu. The pathway to dentistry for minority students: from their perspective. J Dent Educ. 2004 Sep;68(9):938–946. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]