All of the nine students enrolled in the Morgan State University's School of Community Health and Policy’s nursing program passed their required national nursing exam with flying colors on their first try.
This is a major feat for the HBCU considering how much the medical field is lacking in Black doctors and health professionals of color nationwide. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, in 2017, only 1,069 out of 19,254 medical school graduates identified as Black or African-American.
In efforts to combat the racial disparity in health care, prominent institutions like Drexel University are creating mentorship programs for its Black medical students. Students Dexter Graves and Bisola Egbe created the Drexel Black Doctors Network, which matches students with Black doctors all over the city for mentorship, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Still, there’s no denying Morgan State’s major accomplishment. The Baltimore based-school initially opened its doors to nursing students in 2008 to keep the diversity in health care going.
“This is a milestone moment for the Nursing Program, the School of Community Health and Policy and Morgan State University,” said Morgan State’s Kim Dobson Sydnor, Ph.D., dean of the School of Community Health and Policy. “Providing qualified nurses under an accredited program, who will both increase and diversify the nursing workforce, brings a great sense of pride and accomplishment. We will continue to work to maintain a level of excellence that meets and exceeds accreditation standards.”
Amid the current lack of nurses nationwide and Black health professionals nationwide, it's estimated that there will be an increase in nurses by 15% in 2026, which will surpass that national average of any other career choice, reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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