Fewer Black males are attending medical school now than there were 40 years ago. This is the only minority group that has dropped in representation in the health field. A recent National Bureau of Economic Research study states that only four out of 100 American doctors are Black. 

A recent viral Twitter post starkly demonstrates the urgent need for more African-American doctors. In September 2018, a Black physician who goes by the Twitter name Oga_DoctorBlue shared his interaction with a patient that had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He and his colleagues related the diagnosis to the patient, who appeared to respond apathetically. However, he decided to go back to the patient alone to break down the diagnosis in a way that the patient was more likely to understand. The doctor surmised that he was able to reach the patient because he, unlike his partners, could connect with the patient from a cultural standpoint. Research backs up his conclusion with data indicating that patients tend to be more open to someone from their own background and are more satisfied with the care they receive. Being able to identify with a care provider enhances the doctor-patient relationship on a deep emotional level.

1. Cultural Competency 
The sense of kinship that a minority doctor can cultivate with a minority patient is a major advantage that goes along with cultural competency, another invaluable benefit of having black physicians serve Black people. At a 2016 White Coats Black Doctors (WCBD) conference held at Georgetown University, Dr. Erica McClaskey recounted an incident in which one of her students misdiagnosed a spot on the scalp of a black child as ringworm. Dr. McClaskey had to explain to the student that the baldness was a result of a popular hairstyle among African-American young girls. 

As the scalp case shows, a Black perspective can make the difference between a gross misdiagnosis and proper care. Dr. Lynn McKinley-Grant, a dermatologist, offered another sobering example at the WCBD conference. She warned that skin diseases look vastly different depending on the color of the skin. Learning the symptoms of a disease in only one color may have serious — even fatal — consequences for patients. 

Insight and Empathy 
African-American doctors tend to have an insider’s perspective on their culture which gives them a higher level of understanding and empathy regarding minority patients. Non-minority physicians do not possess this insight and are sometimes accused of projecting irritation and disrespect toward minorities. The negative approach creates unnecessary tension between themselves and their patients and incites distrust of the medical field altogether. 

Collective Voice 
Black patients respond with more confidence in Black doctors, and these doctors can also lend their support to each other and the cause of medical care throughout the country. The National Medical Association, founded in 1895, is a professional and scientific organization that strives to promote the field of medicine among people of African descent, advance effective health policy, reduce health disparities, and support physician viability. The NMA collectively represents medical practitioners at various levels of government, working as a unified force to implement policies that positively impact all citizens, including people of color. 

We Need Black Doctors Everywhere 
Black doctors are more likely to practice in underserved communities, homes to many Black patients. Generally, underserved communities are so because of high rates of poverty and many doctors are not attracted to those areas. Minority physicians bring a unique and needed perspective based on shared experiences and backgrounds. 

However, African-American physicians also need to be more visible in every community possible to show that they can serve with the same level of competency as their non-Black colleagues. Ideally, the doctor’s or patient’s race would be of no consequence. As a society, we have not yet achieved the goal of color-blind respect. In the meantime, we need to tackle the challenge of racial health disparities in all its varying aspects. Black physicians are an integral component of this objective.