The shortage of Black doctors in the United States is having a profound impact on the health and longevity of Black Americans, with recent political moves threatening to exacerbate the problem. Despite making up 13.6% of the U.S. population, only 5.7% of physicians are Black, according to a 2022 survey by the American Association of Medical Colleges.
Studies show that Black patients are more likely to seek treatment and receive proper care when their physician looks like them. A recent study found that a 10% increase in Black physicians led to a 30-day increase in life expectancy, particularly in areas with high poverty rates.
However, new anti-diversity laws in states like Texas and Florida, coupled with the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision dismantling affirmative action, are creating new hurdles to increasing the number of Black physicians.
Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, states, “The cost of racial and ethnic health disparities is over $451 billion annually. The cost of not having the political will to eliminate preventable health inequities is enormous.”
The impact of this shortage extends beyond individual health outcomes. Dr. Brian Smedley, co-founder of the National Collaborative for Health Equity, notes that racial concordance between physicians and patients improves communication, trust, and outcomes. He emphasizes, “Diversity among health professionals is associated with better care for diverse populations. Infant mortality is reduced by 50% when the delivering physician is African American in concordance with the birthing parent.”
As anti-diversity initiatives gain traction in several states, experts warn that the number of Black medical students may continue to decline, further widening health disparities and costing lives in the Black community.
See “Anti-DEI Laws Could Make the Black Doctor Shortage Even Worse” (July 15, 2024)
