As I look around at the other 114 students sitting in the classroom with me, I cannot help but notice a startling truth. Despite efforts to increase diversity, the number of minority students attending professional programs, such as medical school, continues to lag. This lack of diversity is not caused by a lack of talent or qualification. Rather it has to do with certain points in students’ educational career when significant numbers of minorities face academic challenges.
The first of these is the transition from high school to college. During this time, students usually work closely with college counselors and take the SAT exam in preparation for college applications. Parents also play a key role for encouragement and support. Statistics show, however, that minority students are less likely to have access to SAT preparation classes. Moreover, many minority students are first-generation college applicants and do not have the proper guidance and support from parents who have gone through the process themselves. Other students face significant economic pressures, and often trade their college dreams for a job straight out of high school.
For those students who do continue their academic careers, college brings an entirely new set of challenges, and many students are not adequately prepared to face the changes college environments bring. Those who come from low-income school districts often lack a strong academic foundation and do not have the proper study skills to reach their full potential in college classes. For this reason, many minorities struggle to perform well in the rigorous prerequisite classes required for professional programs. Moreover, college counselors unintentionally deter minority students away from pursuing their career dreams. Rather than being given encouragement, minority students often find themselves funneled to less challenging majors.
These are just two examples of talented minority students being deterred from professional programs. Yet, there are efforts being made to improve the statistics. When I joined the incoming class at Oregon Health and Science University’s School of Medicine, I joined a student group called the SNMA/LMSA. Although the group welcomes members from any ethnic background, the focus is to promote the needs and concerns of minority students. This year, we made a commitment to focus on minority students at different stages in their academics. We are focusing on several major areas for outreach: K-8, high school, college, and post-baccalaureate. These are key groups of students with different academic needs, and our group seeks to provide the additional support that may otherwise not be provided. For pre-high school students, we teach the importance of healthcare and explain the role of physicians. For high school students, we provide opportunities to get involved in research, mentoring programs, and help with college applications. For college students, we are a resource for MCAT and application preparation.
However, our group is just one group and we are able to reach a small number of people. It is imperative that more students and practicing professionals take up a similar cause. Collaborating with a variety of people in the community will allow for widespread support and encouragement for minority students. Perhaps with such support, I will look around the our school’s incoming class four years from now and notice a significant impact.
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