The Newsroom  •  Published Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2006, 11:31 AM
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Minorities in Med School: Part 2

KUHF-FM (NPR) Freq. 88.7 Houston TX (Internet / Radio) 02/28/06 http://www.kuhf.org/site/News2?JServSessionIdr010=s54wrgb852.app7b&page=NewsArticle&id=15502&news_iv_ctrl=1521 Because medical schools everywhere are working so hard to recruit minority students, the problem of low enrollment appears to have more to do with family economics and a lack of information than with overt, or even covert discrimination. Medical school is so expensive that few people who're not wealthy or well off can afford it, without a lot of financial aid. Doctor Kenneth Shine, vice chancellor for health affairs at the University of Texas System, says that's a problem the state can solve. "We clearly need substantial additional financial aid for medical students, particularly from economically limited backgrounds, because this debt problem is such a frightening thing for families that have never considered any kind of debt." The University of Texas system is spending more money to make medical school a reality for more minorities and Doctor Shine says the effort is paying off. "UT Medical Branch last year graduated more Hispanics than any other medical school in the continental United States. Only the medical school at Puerto Rico had more graduates. I'm very pleased that at Southwestern and at San Antonio we've seen a doubling of the number of African-Americans."



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