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Cited by 341Diversity and Career in MedicineMedical Education and AdmissionsCareer Development and Diversity

Trends in Racial/Ethnic Representation Among US Medical Students

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Lett, Elle, Murdock, H. Moses, Orji, Whitney U., Aysola, Jaya, Sebro, Ronnie·2019·JAMA Network Open
DOI 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.10490PMC PMC6727686
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Abstract

Importance: With increasing efforts to create a diverse physician workforce that is reflective of the demographic characteristics of the US population, it remains unclear whether progress has been made since 2009, when the Liaison Committee on Medical Education set forth new diversity accreditation guidelines. Objective: To examine demographic trends of medical school applicants and matriculants relative to the overall age-adjusted US population. Design, Setting, and Participants: Repeated cross-sectional study of Association of American Medical Colleges data on self-reported race/ethnicity and sex of medical school applicants and matriculants compared with population distribution of the medical school-aged population (20-34 years). Data from US allopathic medical school applicants and matriculants from 2002 to 2017 were analyzed. Main Outcomes and Measures: Trends were measured using the representation quotient, the ratio of the proportion of a racial/ethnic group in the medical student body to the general age-matched US population. Linear regression estimates were used to evaluate the trend over time for Asian, black, white, Hispanic, American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN), and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander medical school matriculants by sex. Results: The number of medical school applicants increased 53%, from 33 625 to 51 658, and the number of matriculants increased 29.3%, from 16 488 to 21 326, between 2002 and 2017. During that time, proportions of black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander male and female individuals aged 20 to 34 years in the United States increased, while proportions of white male and female individuals decreased and proportions of AIAN male and female individuals were stable. From 2002 to 2017, black, Hispanic, and AIAN applicants and matriculants of both sexes were underrepresented, with a significant trend toward decreased representation for black female applicants from 2002 to 2012 (representation quotient slope, -0.011; 95% CI, -0.015 to -0.007; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance: Black, Hispanic, and AIAN students remain underrepresented among medical school matriculants compared with the US population. This underrepresentation has not changed significantly since the institution of the Liaison Committee of Medical Education diversity accreditation guidelines in 2009. This study's findings suggest a need for both the development and the evaluation of more robust policies and programs to create a physician workforce that is demographically representative of the US population.

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  • In a cross-sectional study of self-reported race/ethnicity of US medical school graduates from 2002 to 2017, numbers and proportions of Black, Hispanic, and American Indian or Alaska Native medical school matriculants increased, but at a rate slower than their age-matched counterparts in the US population, resulting in increased underrepresentation.

    “In a cross-sectional study of self-reported race/ethnicity of US medical school graduates from 2002 to 2017, “numbers and proportions of Black, Hispanic, and American Indian or Alaska Native medical school matriculants increased, but at a rate slower than their age-matched counterparts in the US population, resulting in increased underrepresentation” [1].”

    From Supporting underrepresented students in health sciences: a fuzzy cognitive mapping approach to program evaluation (2024) · cites this paper as [1]

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  • The diversity within the health professions is not increasing at a sufficient rate to reflect the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of the current or future U.S. population.

    “Yet, the diversity within the health professions is not increasing at a sufficient rate to reflect the racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of the current or future U.S. population.3,5”

    From Dreams Realized: A Long-Term Program Evaluation of Three Summer Diversity Pipeline Programs (2021) · cites this paper as [5]

    The Discussion reports little improvement in racial and ethnic representation among medical school applicants and matriculants relative to the US population, supporting the claim for the physician pipeline. The Discussion’s Limitations say that other health professions still need to be studied. The paper does not assess linguistic diversity or compare the workforce with projections of the future US population. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Research works printed but not linked: 17

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Authors
Lett, E., Murdock, H. M., Orji, W. U., Aysola, J., & Sebro, R.
Affiliations
  • Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (US)
  • University of Pennsylvania (US)
  • University of Pennsylvania Health System (US)
Corresponding author
  • Aysola, Jaya
  • Sebro, Ronnie
ORCID
Venue
JAMA Network Open
Publisher
American Medical Association (AMA)
Published
2019-09-04
Volume
2
Issue
9
Pages
e1910490
ISSN
2574-3805 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.10490
PMC
PMC6727686
OpenAlex
W2971894355
Cited by
341
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 39 · 2024: 48 · 2023: 59 · 2022: 70 · 2021: 77 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 3
FWCI
74.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • JAMA Network Open (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Diversity and Career in Medicine
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Medical Education and Admissions
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Career Development and Diversity
Keywords
racial and ethnic diversity, medical students, medical school applicants, underrepresentation, Liaison Committee on Medical Education, medical workforce diversity, Black medical students, Association of American Medical Colleges, demographic trends
MeSH terms
Workforce, Adult, Career Choice, Cross-Sectional Studies, Ethnicity, Female, Humans, Male, Personnel Selection, Physicians, Schools, Medical, Students, Medical, Students, Premedical, United States, Cultural Diversity

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