The US needs more Hispanic medical students - Quartz

The US needs more Hispanic medical students - Quartz: In the coming weeks, nearly 17,000 medical school students will graduate across the US and begin their career in medicine. While this seems like a large number, it does not nearly meet the demand in our country. It is estimated that by the end of the decade there will be a shortage of over 90,000 physicians. But the profile of those receiving their degrees is increasingly homogenous and exclusive, particularly when it comes to Hispanic and Latino doctors.


Despite the fact that Hispanics make up 17% of the US population, they only represent a fraction of the physician workforce. Between 1978 and 2008, only 5.5% of graduating physicians in the US were Hispanic. While the number of Hispanic applicants to medical school has tripled over the past 30 years, the percentage who matriculate or graduate from medical school has remained relatively stable over the past few years. The problem is multifaceted: Talented Hispanic students may be choosing not to pursue a career in medicine, applicants to medical school are not competitive enough to be admitted, and once in medical school, a percentage of Hispanic students choose to leave, thus, creating a workforce gap.