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PRINCIPLES REGARDING MINORITY REPRESENTATION

IN MEDICAL SCHOOLS

The American Medical Student Association:

1.             SUPPORTS the increased representation of racial minority students in medical schools, not only as a result of concern for social equity, but also because such representation leads to positive and necessary changes in the attitudes of students, faculty and administrators, and hence to positive improvements in the health of society and in the health-care delivery systems;

2.             URGES that, in order to achieve equal minority representation, U.S. medical schools recognize the goal of graduating a nationwide average of underrepresented ethnic minorities (Black, Latin and Native American) reflecting, at a minimum, the most recent census (i.e., 1.0% Native American, 12.3% Hispanic and 12.5% African-American according to the 2000 census);  (2005)

3.             SUPPORTS an individual school graduating class’ minority percentage at least equal to the proportional numbers of that minority in the population of the region in which the medical school is located;

4.             SUPPORTS the development, funding and continued emphasis toward strengthening of programs to identify and prepare minority students from the high-school level onward and to enroll, retain and graduate increased numbers of minority students;

5.             URGES that special attention be paid to the financial needs of minority medical students;

6.             URGES increased efforts by medical schools to hire minority group faculty and administration.

7.             SUPPORTS the American Association of Medical Colleges’ initiative “3000 by 2000” and shares the commitment to increase underrepresented minority student enrollment and retention in U.S. medical schools. (1994)