A non-profit group that was birthed out of a field trip to a Louisiana plantation, 15 White Coats, has used its viral photo-op on the Whitney Plantation in Edgard, Louisiana in 2019 to fund medical school students’ incidental fees for the MCAT and STEP 1 study prep programs and residency application fees as well as individual support for physicians.
According to CBS News, the group has also birthed a nascent movement that has concerned itself with the falling rates of Black students in medical schools and how to get more Black people into the medical field.
According to 2023 data from The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, Black Americans have been making steady progress in admissions rates to medical school
despite a drop in overall applications in 2022 and 2023.Per their data, in 2023, Black students made up 10.2% of all students who entered medical school and made up 10.4% of the total enrollment of the medical school, setting a record high of 10,133 Black students enrolled in medical schools across the country.
However, as BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, the steady gains of Black Americans in the medical field have also been threatened by anti-DEI policies championed by conservatives who have largely taken their cues from re-inaugurated Donald Trump.
Per the group’s website, 15 White Coats’ “Funding The Future” Initiative is dedicated to bringing more diversity to the field of medicine
.Their six-month virtual cohort program is designed for minority students who are historically and currently underrepresented in the medical field and offers comprehensive support, financial aid, and a robust curriculum that prepares students for the rigors of medical school.
15 White Coats was founded by Russell J. Ledet, Sydney C. Labat, Rachel M. Turner, and Brian E. Washington Jr.
The first pair of names serve as the organization’s President and Vice-President, respectively.
Turner and Washington Jr., meanwhile, serve as the Community Engagement Director and Operations Manager for 15 White Coats.
According to a message from the co-founders, they offer an open invitation for students to figure out how they fit into their organization.
“We have led The 15 White Coats since its inception and plan to diversify medicine in a way it’s never been done before. This initiative is a culmination of years of hard work to find enough funding to truly prepare the next generation of diverse healthcare professionals. Come and learn how to ensure your student applies and is selected!” the co-founders wrote on the website.
Currently, registration for the initiative is closed, but phase one of the group’s registration will open on March 15, 2025, and close on April 12, 2025. Phase two will open on April 14, 2025, and will close on April 24, 2025.
Selected applicants from phase one will be moved to phase two, where a final selection will be made, and an opening program announcing the winners will take place on April 28, 2025.
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