Diversity at U.S. medical schools has barely inched forward in the past 40 years, and underrepresented students still face countless barriers to getting a medical degree. Crosscut investigates the roadblocks to access, progress and what Washington schools are trying to do about it.
In Washington state, as with much of the country, physician demographics don't reflect the communities they serve, which leads to worse outcomes for patients. Unfortunately, at the rate things are progressing, experts say we may never have a physician pool truly representative of the general population.
Asian Americans are perceived as the "model minority": wealthier, better educated and healthier than other minority groups. But this preconception hides many health disparities, in some cases worse than those of any other racial group.
