Group offers ways to close medicine's diversity gap

The Sullivan Commission, an independent task force, sees academic coaching, mentoring and financial aid as key to training more minority physicians.

By Myrle Croasdale, AMNews staff. Oct. 11, 2004.

Ben Carson, MD, is a neurosurgeon, director of the division of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Craniofacial Center.

Dr. Carson, who is black and grew up in a low-income, single-parent home, would be none of these things if he had listened to his medical school adviser, who told him he wasn't cut out for the profession.

His story is just one example of the hurdles minorities often face in pursuing a medical career, according to the Sullivan Commission, an independent, nonprofit group established to address such issues.

If the nation is to meet the needs of its rapidly expanding minority population, understanding and eradicating such obstacles will be critical to raising up more doctors like Dr. Carson, the commission said in its final report "Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions."

Louis W. Sullivan, MD, chair of the commission and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, said it will take a commitment from government, business, educators, professional associations and private citizens alike to accomplish this task.

"We're hoping this report will have a major impact," Dr. Sullivan said.

So far, 50 organizations, including the American Medical Association, have endorsed the report, he said.

AMA President John C. Nelson, MD, MPH, said the AMA was involved with several initiatives to increase the number of minority doctors and improve the delivery of care to minorities. "One example is the AMA's effort to reach out to minority children through the Minority Affairs Consortium's Doctors Back to School program," he said. "Minority physicians visit schools to encourage minority students to consider careers in medicine. The AMA Foundation and the MAC also award $100,000 in scholarships annually to assist outstanding medical students."