The Action Collaborative for Black Men in Medicine brings together action partners across industries and disciplines to create systems change to increase the representation of Black men in medicine.
The charge of the action collaborative is to:
- Identify replicable solutions to amplify and support Black men’s interest in a career in medicine and/or in the biomedical sciences.
- Use existing data and evidence to develop systems-based solutions to address exclusionary practices that create barriers for Black men and prevent them from having equitable opportunities to successfully enroll in medical school.
- Convene key partners to act on measurable solutions.
What is the Action Collaborative?
Convened by the AAMC and the National Medical Association (NMA) and built on the data from the AAMC publication Altering the Course: Black Males in Medicine, the action collaborative is a network community that focuses on systemic solutions to increase the representation and success of Black men interested in medicine.
The action collaborative recognizes that the number of Black men applicants and matriculants into medical school remains relatively unchanged, and this is now considered to be a national crisis by the AAMC, the NMA, and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM). We also recognize that interventions are needed as early as elementary school. We will streamline our efforts on areas of the continuum where the AAMC and the NMA may have the greatest impact, which is from the last two years of high school through the first two years of medical school. Learn more about the AAMC’s Diversity and Health Equity policy agenda.
Join the Action Collaborative
To become an action partner and/or remain updated on the work of the action collaborative, email us at actioncollabforblackmen@aamc.org. We will follow up with next steps for your engagement.
Illinois Black Men in Medicine Innovation Grant
The Illinois Black Men in Medicine Innovation Grant is a program to foster diversity and inclusion in the medical field and address the critical shortage of Black male physicians in the United States. The Action Collaborative will fund up to five projects at approximately $20,000 each to focus on addressing systemic barriers that influence physician diversity and health equity in Illinois. The aim is to examine the root causes, such as institutional structures, policies, and cultural conventions, that impact the distribution of resources and opportunities.
The application for this grant opportunity opens on March 25, 2024 and remains accessible until April 30, 2024. Notification of awards will be sent out by June 3, 2024. The award period is July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025 (12 months). Learn more.
Related Videos
- Action Collaborative for Black Men in Medicine Fall 2022 Strategy Summit
- State of the Action Collaborative
- Setting the Stage for Action
- A Real Emergency: Working to Increase the Representation of Black Men in Medicine
- Black Men and Boys in Medicine Congressional Briefing
Related Publications and Data
- Action Collaborative for Black Men in Medicine: Strategy Summit Proceedings.
- Action Collaborative Press Release: AAMC, NMA Announce Action Collaborative on Black Men in Medicine.
- AAMC report: Altering the Course: Black Males in Medicine.
- Academic Medicine article: “Increasing the Representation of Black Men in Medicine by Addressing Systems Factors.”
- JAMA viewpoint: “Diversity in Medical Schools: A Much-Needed New Beginning.”
- NASEM report: An American Crisis: The Growing Absence of Black Men in Medicine and Science: Proceedings of a Joint Workshop.
- NASEM report: The Impacts of Racism and Bias on Black People Pursuing Science, Engineering, and Medicine.
- AAMC FACTS Report: Applicants, Matriculants, Enrollment, Graduates, MD-PhD, and Residency Applicants Data.
Related Media
- The Hill op-ed: “Supporting Black Men in Medicine Can Uplift the Health of the Nation.”
- AAMC “Beyond the White Coat” podcast episode: “Black Men in Medicine: Meeting the Challenge.”
- Summer Health Professions Education Program prehealth advising webinar: “Dispelling the Myths of Admissions.”
Programs and Organizations
This is a sample of programs dedicated to increasing access and support for Black men to pursue medicine.
- Young Doctors DC.
- Black Men in White Coats.
- Summer Health Professions Education Program.
- Mentoring in Medicine.
- Tour for Diversity in Medicine.
- Black and Latino Men in Medicine.
Contact
If you have questions, please contact us at actioncollabforblackmen@aamc.org.