A new study, led by Dr. Jasmine Weiss, MD, MHS, FAAP, assistant professor of pediatrics at UNC’s School of Medicine, sheds light on the barriers students from HBCUs face when trying to get into medical school. Published in JAMA Network Open, the research gives a voice to the advisors who guide these students through the demanding med school application process.
“We wanted to hear directly from advisors working with HBCU students from the time they enter college, to understand the struggles and obstacles the students are facing as they navigate the tedious path to medical school,” said Dr. Weiss.
The study involved interviews with 26 pre-med advisors and Weiss and her co-authors from HBCUs, asking them to share the challenges their students face. Three key themes emerged, complicated relationship dynamics between HBCUs and medical schools, concerns over students from PWIs getting better access to clinical shadowing, and the importance of family and peer support, often summed up by the “it takes a village” mentality.
Dr. Weiss pointed out that medical schools at PWIs have plenty of room to step up. “If they are serious about attracting and more importantly enrolling the best and brightest students into their respective student bodies; because unfortunately Black and Brown students are still sorely underrepresented in our physician workforce,” she said.
The study’s conclusion underscores how important HBCUs are when it comes to producing Black doctors in the U.S. By not addressing the barriers these students face, medical schools are missing out on unique perspectives that could enrich the field of medicine and the communities they serve.
Looking ahead, Dr. Weiss suggests future studies could compare the experiences of pre-med advisors and Black students at both PWIs and HBCUs. The voices of students themselves could provide even deeper insight into the admissions process from both types of institutions.
