According to the “Diversity in Medicine” report published in 2019 by the Association of American Medical Colleges, 5.8% of active physicians in 2018 identified themselves as Hispanic and 5% identified as Black or African American. These proportions are an underrepresentation of the national makeup of the U.S., since in 2019 Hispanics/Latinx and African Americans made up an estimated 18.3% and 13.4% of the population, respectively, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
In a recent article in JAMA Internal Medicine, researchers found that physicians from minority backgrounds were more likely to care for patients from vulnerable populations. For example, African American, Hispanic and Asian doctors were more likely to have patients on Medicaid – a program for those with limited income and resources – and patients of Hispanic physicians were more likely to be uninsured.
