Mississippi faces a critical shortage of Black doctors, even as lawmakers increasingly target diversity programs in higher education, potentially exacerbating health disparities in a state where nearly 40% of residents are Black.
At the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, only 12% of enrolled students are Black, mirroring a statewide problem where just 1 in 10 doctors identify as Black or African American.
“A lot of the Black physicians in the state have a bitter taste in their mouth about our medical school,” said Dr. Demondes Haynes, associate dean of medical school admissions at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Research suggests health outcomes improve when Black patients see Black doctors. A study published in JAMA Network Open found longer life expectancy among Black patients in counties with higher ratios of Black primary care physicians.
However, nearly two dozen of Mississippi’s 82 counties have no Black doctors, while four counties have no doctors at all.
The shortage stems from a history of systemic racism. The University of Mississippi didn’t admit Black students to its medical school until 1972, nearly a decade after the Civil Rights Act banned racial segregation in higher education.
Now, as Republican-led states introduce laws restricting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, medical school administrators worry about the impact on recruitment efforts.
“I don’t expect this movement of anti-DEI legislation to slow down or stop at all,” said Anton Gunn, a health care consultant and former HHS official.
For aspiring doctors like Jerrian Reedy, whose career path was born from personal tragedy, these challenges highlight the ongoing struggle for equitable healthcare representation in Mississippi.
See “Mississippi Lacks Black Doctors, Even as Lawmakers Increasingly Target Diversity Programs” (July 19, 2024)
