HBCUs Make Strides In Medical Diversity With Abbott Scholars Programs

HBCUs like Howard University and Meharry College will take part in the 300 scholarships allotted until 2026.

Four HBCUs have partnered with the Abbott Scholars Program to put more diverse students in white coats.

Through the initiative, Abbott provides scholarships at historically Black institutions and minority nursing associations. The medical and healthcare company started the program in 2021, pledging $5 million to reduce the systemic barriers keeping diverse scholars out of the medical field.

One recipient of this scholarship, Jermaine Blakely, deemed the opportunity as “monumental” for students lacking financial support.

“I’m very grateful for a company like Abbott Laboratories, who decided to give me a scholarship so that I can decrease some of that financial burden for me…because medical school is arduous and very complex itself,” the Howard Medical student told WTOP. “So helping to decrease an additional burden for me has been very monumental, to not only my mental health but to my academic capabilities.”

The initiative also partners with the National Black Nurses Association and National Association of Hispanic Nurses. Alongside HBCUs like Howard University and Meharry College, these organizations will take part in the 300 scholarships allotted until 2026. Abbott’s program hopes to increase the number of diverse medical professionals, an issue Blakely believes is vital to improving patient care.

“The human experience is so customized and so unique to every patient,” he added.

Minority representation in medical schools remains slim. According to the Association of Medical Colleges, Black students made up only 10% of enrollees for the 2023-24 school year. Moreover, only 5.7% of U.S. doctors consider themselves Black. With Black people accounting for 12% of the U.S. population, these numbers leave a gap between Black physicians and underrepresented communities.

Only four historically Black medical schools are in operation. However, these schools, such as Xavier University of Louisiana, provide the biggest cohort of Black medical school graduates. Their programs foster generations of Black doctors, with initiatives like Abbott allowing more students to take part.

In light of these statistics, Abbott has tasked itself to supply resources and pathways for HBCU students and minority-serving organizations to build careers in health care.