Minority Students in U.S. Medical Schools

To the Editor: We would like to support and expand the conclusions drawn by Dr. Shea and Fullilove in the October 10 issue.¹ We share their understanding that the diminished commitment of medical schools to affirmative action for black and other minority physicians compromises the pursuit of an important means of addressing the poor health status and access problems of minority populations relative to white Americans. According to the 1982 National Access Survey conducted by Louis Harris and Associates and the Center for Health Administration Studies of the University of Chicago, 12 percent of all Americans — 28 million —…