CASE STUDY
Increasing Minority Representation in U.S. Medicine
The U.S. faces a significant shortage of physicians and a stark underrepresentation of Black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native professionals. This gap hinders equitable healthcare outcomes, as minority physicians are critical to improving the health of underserved communities. The Association of American Medical Colleges sought to understand and address the systemic barriers preventing Black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native learners from entering and completing medical education.
Social System: Education
Client Type: Non-profit
Deliverable: Strategy Recommendations, Insights Report
THE PROBLEM
There is a stark underrepresentation of Black and Indigenous communities in the medical field, which perpetuates health inequities for underserved communities in America.
Black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native physicians comprise less than 6% of the U.S. physician workforce, despite representing 14.7% of the population. This gap reduces access to culturally competent care and contributes to poorer health outcomes in marginalized communities.
THE PROJECT BRIEF
How might we identify and address systemic barriers preventing Black and Indigenous learners from becoming physicians?
The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) partnered with DC Design to understand the experiences of Black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native learners across the medical education continuum. The goal was to surface systemic challenges and co-create actionable strategies that would increase the number of diverse medical school applicants, matriculants, and future physicians.
OUR APPROACH
A multi-stakeholder, empathy-driven research process uncovered barriers and opportunities.
DC Design conducted interviews and focus groups with over 160 participants including students and their parents from middle school up to medical residency. We also engaged with long-time attending physicians as well as those who had shifted their careers to learn about key challenges in their pathway. Using the Design Thinking framework, the team identified core themes affecting learners: -
Influence of early exposure to medicine
Negative perceptions of the field
Financial burdens
Lack of networks
Challenges navigating post-secondary education and nontraditional paths.
Findings were synthesized into actionable recommendations that AAMC can prototype and implement.
THE RESULTS
The project delivered a comprehensive insights report and 10 strategic recommendations to help AAMC tackle systemic inequities in medical education. These insights inform future initiatives to inspire interest in medicine, support students at transition points, and re-engage individuals who have left the medical pathway. By implementing these strategies, AAMC aims to significantly increase the number of Black and Indigenous physicians, improving healthcare outcomes in underserved communities.
LEARN MORE
Social problems are complex. They cannot be solved overnight. Our clients come from different backgrounds and are focused on confronting a diverse range of issues, but one thing that unifies them is the decision they’ve made to reach for outcomes that are better than “good enough.”
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