Black Medical School Enrollments Need a Booster Shot

In 2009 there were 5,522 African Americans enrolled in U.S. medical schools. Since 2002 the number of blacks enrolled in medical school has increased each year. But during this period, total black enrollments have increased by only 6.6 percent. Overall medical school enrollments have increased by 11.1 percent in the same period. As a result, the black percentage of total medical school enrollments declined from 7.4 percent in 2002 to 7.1 percent in 2009.

As in almost all other areas of higher education, black women hold a large lead over black men in medical school enrollments. In 2009 there were 3,480 black women enrolled in medical school. They made up 63 percent of all African-American enrollments. In contrast, white women made up just 45.3 percent of all white enrollments in medical school.