Only 5.7% of US doctors are Black, and experts warn the shortage harms public health
Unfortunately, this news should come as no surprise. In fact, this topic – the dire shortage of Black physicians in the U.S. – was a focal point of my address during my inauguration as the 123rd President of the 128-year-old National Medicine Association (NMA) in August of 2022. The percentage of Black physicians in medicine in the United States, especially Black males, is beyond shameful. There are countless stories of Black students being discouraged from going into medicine for a variety of reasons (the expense of medical school, the difficulty of the curriculum, the lengthy matriculation…the list is endless). Add to that the hostile environment that many Blacks face during their journey (medical school, residency, fellowship and as an attending) and it is a veritable case study in discouragement. The NMA, in partnership with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) is working diligently to reverse this sobering trend. We know we must go back to grade school to mentor, encourage and usher our students along the education highway, letting them “see it,” so they know they can “be it.” We must drown out the naysayers in their ear with choruses of “no limits!” and instruct our young people on how to be deliberate and unwavering in their approach to their education and future. This is precisely what the AAMC/NMA Action Collaborative for Black Men in Medicine is designed to do, and we are hopeful that those that report these tragic statistics will also engage the Action Collaborative for Black Men in Medicine to learn more about what is being done to address this issue. The evidence is clear: more Black physicians in the U.S. healthcare system leads to greater patient satisfaction and better adherence to medical recommendations, which translates to better outcomes for Black patients, reducing the overall healthcare disparities that plague Black communities.
Garfield Clunie, MD, FACOG
123rd President of the National Medical Assocation
