Student Body Diversifying; Record Number of State Residents Apply

Sydany Tran, a member of the Class of 2025, was inspired to become a physician so that she can provide equitable treatment to people from unserved and underrepresented communities.

The OU College of Medicine is welcoming increasingly diverse medical student classes, including the highest number of African Americans matriculating with the Class of 2025.

Twelve students identified as African American as they began medical school in fall 2021. That’s an increase over the previous high of seven African Americans students in a single class. The college’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement conducts a variety of outreach and recruitment programs in order to build a more diverse student body.

“When we look at the data for groups who are underrepresented in medicine, including African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and people from rural areas of the state, we are moving in the right direction,” said Robert Salinas, M.D., Assistant Dean for Diversity for the College of Medicine. “We still have a lot of work to do, but some of the programs we’re offering may be helping those students who aspire to become physicians.”

Programs organized through the Office of Diversity include Club Scrubs, the Mini Medical School Experience, and the SPARK Summer Program, all geared toward high school students who are interested in healthcare careers. The annual Representing Oklahoma and Diversity (R.O.A.D.) Conference fosters interest among those who are underrepresented in medicine.

In addition, the college is now in its second iteration of OU Med REV UP!, an intensive five-month course that prepares college students to apply to medical school. The medical readiness program breaks down some of the barriers that underrepresented minorities face when considering medical school, particularly preparation for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). Scores on the MCAT are a significant factor in admission to medical school, yet many people from rural and underrepresented populations can’t afford the price tag for prep courses, which often cost thousands of dollars. OU Med REV UP! is free and gives students one-on-one mentoring and guidance as they prepare for the MCAT and create a medical school portfolio.

“If we can recruit a more diverse workforce from tribal, rural and underserved communities, there’s a good chance that they will return to their communities to practice and elevate the health status of the population they care for,” Salinas said. For the current first-year medical school class, the college also had a record high number of applicants who live in Oklahoma — 456. Because state law requires that each class be comprised of at least 75% Oklahoma residents, a larger pool of qualified applicants is encouraging, Salinas said.

Overall, there were 2,824 applications, 310 interviews conducted, and 164 selected for the Class of 2025. Students came from 36 different undergraduate institutions with 59 different majors, the top three being biochemistry, biology, and chemical biosciences.

“Our increasingly diverse student body brings valuable experiences and insight to the medical education journey,” said Sherri Baker, M.D., Associate Dean for Admissions. “I am also grateful to our Admissions Board and interview subcommittee. They are a committed group of 120 faculty, practicing community physicians, and students who spent more than 2,400 hours evaluating and interviewing applicants. I am incredibly grateful for their dedication and hard work in selecting the Class of 2025.”