African-American men are in short supply in U.S. medical schools.
To help address the problem, Black Men In White Coats — which Dallas pulmonary and critical care specialist Dale Okorodudu, MD, founded in 2013 — will hold a youth summit Saturday, Feb. 16 at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The objective: Mentor kids as young as 9 years old —boys and girls — who might be interested in medicine as a career.
"The goal is to inspire and show them that though not many, there are people who look like them in this field," said the group's website. "And if we can do it, they can do it."
The number of black males in medical school has been dropping since the 1970s, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). By 2015 only about 38 percent of African Americans in medical school were male. Males comprised 49 percent or more of all other ethnic groups that year.
Black Men In White Coats will bring together parents, educators, clinicians, and community leaders to build networks that can help young people enter medical school. Physician-mentors will pair up with one to three students to provide points of contact in the medical field.
More information, including how to register, can be found online.
Photo: Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis, Tenn., organized a Black Men In White Coats Youth Summit in April of last year. Photo credit: Baptist Memorial Health Care
Last Updated On
February 04, 2019
Originally Published On
February 04, 2019