No Blacks in the Entering Class at the University of Missouri Medical School

For the first time in 30 years, there are no blacks in the first-year class at the medical school of the University of Missouri at Columbia. Ninety-six percent of the 100-member entering class identified themselves as white, and there are three Hispanics. A full scholarship, established for minority students in 2004, was given to a student who classified himself as white but with some Mexican heritage.

A year ago whites made up 74 percent of the entering students. Blacks make up between 5 and 7 percent of the students in the returning classes at the medical school.

Fifty-seven African Americans sent in applications to the medical school this year. But 27 of those applicants never sent in complete documentation and therefore were not considered. Of the remaining 30 black applicants, only two were granted interviews and one was accepted. This student decided not to enroll.

Admissions officers state that they have a minimum floor for college grade point averages and scores on the Medical College Admission Test. For those applicants who meet these thresholds, race and other personal characteristics can have a positive impact on admissions decisions.

Copyright © 2007. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.