The MCAT's Restrictive Effect on the Minority Physician Pipeline: A Legal Perspective
Authors: Inginia Genao, Jacob Gelman
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2018)

Ideas and Opinions18 September 2018The MCAT's Restrictive Effect on the Minority Physician Pipeline: A Legal PerspectiveInginia Genao, MD and Jacob Gelman, JDInginia Genao, MDYale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (I.G.) and Jacob Gelman, JDYale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut (J.G.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M18-0545 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Leaders in medical education often hear the lament, "We are all competing for the same small group of people." This small group comprises members of "those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population" (1). This admission by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) reflects the sobering reality that numerous recruiting initiatives have not achieved the desired proportional increase of underrepresented minorities (URMs) in the physician workforce. The absence of a diverse workforce deprives society of demonstrable benefits, such as a narrowing of the gap in health disparities ...References1. Association of American Medical Colleges. Underrepresented in medicine definition. 2017. Accessed at www.aamc.org/initiatives/urm on 14 July 2017. Google Scholar2. Sturman N, Parker M. The elusive grail of social inclusion in medical selection. Med Educ. 2013;47:542-4. [PMID: 23662869] doi:10.1111/medu.12211 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Camara WJ, Schmidt AE. Group Differences in Standardized Testing and Social Stratification. New York: College Entrance Examination Board; 1999. Google Scholar4. Witzburg RA, Sondheimer HM. Holistic review—shaping the medical profession one applicant at a time. N Engl J Med. 2013;368:1565-7. [PMID: 23574032] doi:10.1056/NEJMp1300411 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Association of American Medical Colleges. Table A-18: MCAT scores and GPAs for applicants and matriculants to U.S. medical schools by race/ethnicity, 2016-2017. 2016. Accessed at www.aamc.org/download/321498/data/factstablea18.pdf on 22 November 2017. Google Scholar6. Griggs v. Duke Power Co., 401 U.S. 424 (1971). Google Scholar7. Civil Rights Act of 1991, Pub. L. No. 102-166, 105 Stat. 1071 (1991). Google Scholar8. Rodríguez JE, Campbell KM. Does the continued use of the MCAT hinder care for minority patients? [Letter]. J Immigr Minor Health. 2015;17:981-2. [PMID: 24903356] doi:10.1007/s10903-014-0054-3 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Barr DA. Questioning the Premedical Paradigm: Enhancing Diversity in the Medical Profession a Century After the Flexner Report. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Univ Pr; 2010. Google Scholar10. Muller D, Kase N. Challenging traditional premedical requirements as predictors of success in medical school: the Mount Sinai School of Medicine Humanities and Medicine Program. Acad Med. 2010;85:1378-83. [PMID: 20671464] doi:10.1097/ACM.0b013e3181dbf22a CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut (I.G.)Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut (J.G.)Acknowledgment: The authors thank Prof. Owen Fiss for input and guidance and librarian Mark Gentry for assistance with the literature search.Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M18-0545.Corresponding Author: Inginia Genao, MD, Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, PO Box 208025, New Haven, CT 06520-8025; e-mail, Inginia.[email protected]edu.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Genao: Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, PO Box 208025, New Haven, CT 06520-8025.Mr. Gelman: Yale Law School, 127 Wall Street, New Haven, CT 06511.Author Contributions: Conception and design: I. Genao, J. Gelman.Analysis and interpretation of the data: J. Gelman.Drafting of the article: I. Genao, J. Gelman.Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: I. Genao, J. Gelman.Final approval of the article: I. Genao, J. Gelman.Collection and assembly of data: J. Gelman.This article was published at Annals.org on 28 August 2018. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byPerspectives of Historically Black College and University Advisors to Premedical Students During the COVID-19 PandemicMedical Schools as Racialized Organizations: How Race-Neutral Structures Sustain Racial Inequality in Medical Education—a Narrative ReviewMedical Education's Wicked Problem: Achieving Equity in Assessment for Medical LearnersDiversity, Inclusion, and Equity: Evolution of Race and Ethnicity Considerations for the Cardiology Workforce in the United States of America From 1969 to 2019The Consequences of Structural Racism on MCAT Scores and Medical School AdmissionsEnhancing Diversity in College Science with Active Learning 18 September 2018Volume 169, Issue 6Page: 403-404KeywordsComputed axial tomographyDisclosureForecastingHealth disparitiesMedical educationPopulation statisticsRacial and ethnic issuesSocioeconomic statusStandardized testsUndergraduates ePublished: 28 August 2018 Issue Published: 18 September 2018 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2018 by American College of Physicians. 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