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TOO MANY DOCTORS?
NOT FOR EVERYBODY...NOT EVERYWHERE.

Who practices in inner cities and rural areas?
72% of the graduates of Meharry Medical College do.

Who enters primary health care?
62% of the Meharry graduates do. But their numbers are not great.

[[image: bar graph]] 6,500 9,300

Black physicians in active practice; a high proportion of whom are Meharry graduates.

[[image: bar graph, 6,500 in 1968, 9,300 in 1980 (EST.)]]

Meharry is one of 126 medical schools in the United States. It was founded in 1876 to educate black health professional. Nine students were in the first class. By 1910, the year of the Flexner study of medical education in the United States, Meharry had granted 999 degrees. One hundred twenty "grossly inadequate" schools would close after the Flexner Report, including five of the seven then educating black physicians and dentists. After 1910, Meharry was one of but two medical educational facilities readily open to the black student. Over 40% of the black physicians and dentists currently practicing in the United States are Meharry graduates.

With its campus enlarged and rebuilt in the years 1968-79, Meharry is still a prime resource for the aspiring black health professional, as well as the white, Hispanic, American Indian and Oriental student.

[[box]]
[[3 columns]]
1967/68 | [[specialty]] | 1980/81

*41% of the enrollment are women
**Biomedical Sciences - a demonstration program of summer studies for college students to assure a quality premedical education as one means of increasing minority applicants to any of the nation's medical schools.

[[letter]]
[[image: Meharry Medical College logo]]
Meharry MEDICAL COLLEGE
OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

January 26, 1981

Dear Friend:

In 1968, when I became President of Meharry Medical College, throughout the country a drive was beginning to increase enrollments. Medical schools grew from 108 in number to 126; the national enrollments went from 37,690 to the present level of 65,189.

Today medical school are being encouraged to decrease their enrollments, for fear of an oversupply of physicians by the end of this decade.

Within this success is one acknowledged failure - there is, as was true in 1968, an inadequate supply of physicians practicing in inner city and rural area. A contributing factor is the relatively small group of black physicians in active practice - estimated at 9300.

The 65,000 students will enter private practice some three to seven years from now. Less than 6% (3,708) are black. All during the 1970's, the black enrollment has hovered around 5-6% of the total; half the goal that was aimed for by medical educators.

Why the shortfall? Choice plays a part - there are today other challenging fields open to the talented black student. Preparatory education can present a problem: competition is stiff. Applicants are always three times the available opening. Many turned down - black and white - would make fine physicians.

But the greatest barrier for the black student is the financial burden.

Although Meharry educates a good number of students who are white, Spanish surnamed, Native American, the majority of its students are black. As you will see from the enclosed leaflet, almost half of Meharry's students are from families with annual incomes below the $10,000 level. These are students who, without financial aid in the form of grants and/or long term loans, would find a medical or dental education beyond their reach.

In carefully selecting students from throughout the nation; in educating and guiding them towards practices in rural areas, small towns and inner cities, Meharry is trying to respond to health care needs.

Will you help? This you can do through a contribution (tax deductible) in any amount. It will be very welcome and, when added to those of others, serves a dual purpose; it helps a young man or woman achieve a professional degree and helps to increase the supply of medical personnel in areas of great need. Thank you for your consideration of my request.

Respectfully,

Lloyd C. Elam
Lloyd C. Elam, M.D.
[/letter]]

Economic background of Meharry students
46% - less than $10,000
39% - less than $20,000
15% - [[above $20,000]]

National median income of families for 1979:
White families $20,524 - Black families $11,648

The continuing disparity between black and white median family income means that, for the black student entering medical school, loans and scholarship grants are an absolute essential.

To aid the students, Meharry has limited funds in the income from a small endowment plus certain funds from the Federal Government. The latter may fluctuate from year to year and are based upon a school's enrollment figures rather than the degree of need within a particular student body.

Help Meharry in its efforts to help increase the numbers of health professional in inner cities and rural areas.

Contribute to Meharry's Student Aid Fund.

Tuition is $5,000 a year in the M.D, Dental and Ph.D programs. A gift of $2500, in addition to funds students can provide will help one of the students who needs maximum aid.

Gifts in amounts of $5, $15, $25, $50, $100 are welcome. Added together, they can help some one student who is preparing for a lifetime of service to others.

Contributions to Meharry Medical College are deductible for Income Tax purposes.

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