ROOTSTOWN, Ohio — Making medical school accessible and diversifying the landscape of the ever-growing field is just part of the mission of Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown, Ohio.
Officials say representation matters, and they're doing everything in their power to make sure there is a true reflection of that in the student body.
“Our goal is to create a workforce that’s representative of the society we live in," said Dr. John Langell, President of Northeast Ohio Medical University.
The public medical school is actively working to change the face of traditional medicine—one student at a time.
NEOMED officials say their student body shows promise, strength, and understanding.
Vissy Elad, a second-year Medical student, takes her role and purpose incredibly seriously.
“I’m just happy to give what I can and hopefully that my effort will lead to something that becomes something bigger, something larger," said Elad.
The numbers, NEOMED says, show promise:
NEOMED’s 2022 incoming Doctor of Medicine class has 25.3% of underrepresented minority students.
Last year's 2021 class, which was slightly smaller, consisted of 30% minority students.
Across the medical field though—The Association of American Medical Colleges reports just 5% of doctors are Black and 6% are Hispanic.
NEOMED created a strategic plan combining medical education and evidence-based health care issues to identify opportunities and advancement.
The University's President, Langell, says research showed the MCAT or Medical College Admission Test to get into medical school was biased and blatantly favored some students.
“You can see it. You can see that one population is always on a higher average than other populations," said Langell.
Langell began a listening tour back in 2019 and started looking beyond testing numbers.
He noticed public input and fact-based research were essential in bridging the gap.
NEOMED ultimately created a Post-Baccalaureate program to help battle the MCAT bias.
Through the program--students may apply to a Pre-Med program leading to early assurance to medical school.
Langell says it's much more than an alternative entry point, but an opportunity to continue to develop with the medical landscape.
"It's something we had to do--when it comes to evolving with the field and seeking out top-tier candidates. It was a game changer."
In the meantime, Elad says diversifying the field is the first step toward positive change.
She says re-establishing medical trust can be done—one student at a time.
She says there is comfort in patients seeing doctors and nurses that look like them.
“Having people come in right to the medical field that belong to these groups can help provide better care for these groups," said Elad.
For more information on NEOMED'S Post-Baccalaureate program click here: Post-Baccalaureate Early Assurance | Post BACC Programs in Ohio | NEOMED
