Fewer Black doctors in training

The number of enrolled first-year, Black medical students has slightly fallen in California and nationally, new data shows.

Why it matters: Research shows that having physicians who are racially diverse and resemble their patients can improve health outcomes and treatment in hospitals, make patients more comfortable sharing concerns and potentially reduce the racial gap in deaths from heart conditions.

By the numbers: In 1978, 6.7% of new medical students in California identified as Black. The share decreased to 6% in 2025, per the Association of American Medical Colleges.

• Nationally, just 5% of doctors in America are Black — compared with 14% of the general population.

Zoom in: UC San Diego's School of Medicine admitted its most diverse class last year with one-third of students being under-represented in medicine (Black, Latino, Native American and Native Hawaiian), per the university.

• The percentage of medical students who are Black was 11% in 2023, up from 4% in 2019.

The intrigue: UCSD is hosting a panel of Black healthcare professionals Feb. 19, and has received millions in federal grant money to diversify the biomedical field.

State of play: California banned affirmative action in higher education in 1996 when voters approved Proposition 209, before the U.S. Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions in 2023.

• The recent national dip, however, follows the SCOTUS decision.
• The declines are "much larger than we would expect," even taking the high court decision into account, Poll-Hunter tells Axios.

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