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EGACY Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.
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There were fewer black men in medical school in 2014 than in 1978 LAUREN SILVERMAN
Oviea Akpotaire and Jeffrey Okonye put in long days working with patients at the veterans' hospital in south Dallas as fourthyear medical students at the University of Texas Southwestern. They’re in a class of 237 people and they’re two of only five black men in their class. “I knew the ones above us, below us,” said Okonye. “We all kind of know each other. It’s comforting to see another person that looks like you.” While more black men graduated from college over the past few decades, the number of black men applying to medical school has dropped. In 1978, 1,410 black men applied to medical school and 542 ended up enrolling. In 2014, both those numbers were down — 1,337 applied and 515 enrolled. Those figures come from a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Every other minority group — including Asians and Hispanics — saw growth in applicants. There was also an uptick in applications by black women. Enrollment statistics for 2015 are just out and they show a modest gain of 8 percent more black men entering medical school over the year before. “This is a positive sign,” said Marc Nivet, AAMC’s chief diversity officer, “but it does not change the fact that for 35 years the number has been trending poorly.” “I was really surprised,” said Akpotaire, who is studying internal medicine. “I sent [the study] to my
Jeffrey Okonye (left) and Oviea Akpotaire are fourth-year medical students. mom and dad immediately. You would think the conditions would be a lot different than they were in 1978.” Diversity among doctors is important for patient health. People are more likely to follow doctors’ directions on things like medication or exercise if they can identify with them.
Dr. Dale Okorodudu, a third-year pulmonary and critical care fellow at UT Southwestern, says making cultural connections can make a big difference. “If you can relate to [patients], it’s a lot easier for them to feel at home and comfortable with you,” he said. Okorodudu wrote a blog post about an experience at Parkland Hospital
that stuck with him. He was walking down the hallway on the 10th floor when a black man stopped him: “It’s good to see you brother!” I had never met this man, but I knew exactly what he was talking about. With a large smile on his face and a look of pride, he extended his arm to give me a handshake. “There aren’t
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