MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSION POLICY ANALYSIS: SUCCESS IN INCREASING AFRICAN AMERICANS IN MATRICULANT CLASSES

• Main Author: Jones, Kathleen Ann
• Format: Others
• Published: OpenSIUC 2016
• Subjects: affirmative action; allopathic; diversity; holistic review; MCAT; minority
• Online Access: https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/dissertations/1310; https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2314&context=dissertations

The ranks of the medical profession have typically been filled by Anglo-Saxon males. A slow change in attitude appears to be leading toward a desire to increase diversity in the medical profession. Previous attempts to allow for increased representation of those underrepresented in medicine failed due to legal challenges. The Association of American Medical Colleges, an organization which oversees medical education, residency training, and research of both American and Canadian allopathic medical schools, has introduced Holistic Review as a method for creating a diverse population in a medical school class; this study investigates the way medical schools are incorporating these strategies into their medical school admissions policies and how effective these policies are in increasing diversity in medical school classes. The implication encourage admissions committees to modify the importance of certain selection criteria in an ongoing effort to increase diversity in their medical school classes.