Indiana sees drop in new Black medical students
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The number of enrolled first-year Black medical students has dropped in Indiana, new data shows.
Why it matters: "Having Black physicians is good for everybody's health," says Norma Poll-Hunter, senior director of the Association of American Medical Colleges' human capital portfolio.
By the numbers: There was a nearly 2% drop in first-year Black medical students enrolling in Indiana programs in 2024, per the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).
- Just 22 new Black medical students matriculated last year, 5.4% of the state's new cohort of medical students.
- Nationally, only 5% of doctors in America are Black — compared with 14% of the population.
The latest: The recent national dip in Black med school student enrollment follows the Supreme Court decision to strike down affirmative action in higher education.
The declines are "much larger than we would expect," even taking the Supreme Court decision into account, Poll-Hunter tells Axios.
Zoom out: Over the years, factors that may have impacted Black med school student admission rates include:
- The influential 1910 Flexner Report. Without it, 29% more African American physicians would've graduated in 2019 alone, one JAMA study projects.
- The 1972 federal Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP). It led to a 70% increase in minority students in health professions between its launch and 1980, according to CDC data.
- The 2020 pandemic. That's when there was a national spotlight on the Black Lives Matter movement (and racism in medical institutions), health care was particularly top of mind, and there was a reduction in med school admission costs. The next year, there was an uptick in the number of Black med school students.