Feb 14, 2025 Story by: Editor
The number of Black first-year medical students in California has slightly decreased, according to newly released data.
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’ (AAMC) human capital portfolio.
By the numbers: In 1978, 6.7% of new medical students in California identified as Black. That percentage dropped to 6% in 2025, based on data from the AAMC.
On a national scale, only 5% of doctors in the U.S. are Black, despite Black Americans making up 14% of the general population.
Between the lines: The data reflects students who identified as Black or African American.
Zoom in: California has not allowed race-conscious admissions in higher education since 1996, when voters passed Proposition 209. The recent national decline in Black medical student enrollment follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that struck down affirmative action in college admissions.
“The declines are ‘much larger than we would expect,’ even considering the high court’s decision,” Poll-Hunter told Axios.
Friction point: A federal lawsuit alleges that the University of California system has been illegally factoring race into admissions, citing a narrowing acceptance gap between Black and Latino applicants and the broader student body.
The lawsuit was filed by Students Against Racial Discrimination, represented by America First Legal, a conservative group founded by Stephen Miller, who served as President Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, The Los Angeles Times reports.
Zoom out: Several historical and systemic factors have influenced Black medical school enrollment rates:
- The influential 1910 Flexner Report led to sweeping reforms in medical education, resulting in the closure of many schools that trained Black students. A JAMA study estimates that without these closures, 29% more Black physicians would have graduated by 2019.
- The 1972 federal Health Careers Opportunity Program contributed to a 70% increase in minority students entering health professions between its inception and 1980, according to CDC data.
- The COVID-19 pandemic amplified awareness of racial disparities in healthcare and the Black Lives Matter movement. In response, medical schools reduced admission costs, leading to a temporary increase in Black student enrollment.
The intrigue: The impact of Black physicians on patient health is backed by research.
A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) found that Black men in Oakland were more likely to seek preventive healthcare when treated by Black male doctors.
Researchers project that increasing the number of Black doctors could help close the racial gap in heart disease-related deaths by 19%. Source: MSN
