CHICAGO– Ross University School of Medicine (RUSM) announces a new collaboration with Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU), a historically Black college and university (HBCU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., to expand educational access for aspiring medical students. Through this agreement, B-CU students and alumni who meet RUSM’s program requirements — many of whom identify as a race or ethnicity underrepresented in medicine — will be eligible for direct admission and scholarships to RUSM to pursue a medical degree.
This partnership highlights how RUSM continues to advance health equity, while working to combat critical healthcare workforce shortages by training diverse students who represent the communities they serve. Culturally competent care improves health outcomes and quality of care.
The scholarship is available to B-CU pre-health medical students and alumni, up to five years after graduation, and will cover tuition and housing for the first semester, and the flight to attend first semester.1 Recipients may conduct a pre-campus visit to RUSM in Barbados to experience a day in the life of an RUSM student, with travel and lodging expenses provided by RUSM.2
The U.S. could see an estimated shortage of up to 139,000 physicians by 2033.[3] RUSM is preparing a workforce at scale to fill widespread physician shortages achieving strong residency placements with a 95% first-time eligible residency attainment rate for 2021-22 graduates and expected graduates (as of April 5, 2022). In 2022, 73 Black and 43 Latinx RUSM graduates secured residency positions.
“RUSM is committed to advancing representation in medicine and preparing future physicians who will contribute to a just and effective healthcare system for those in the communities they serve,” said Heidi Chumley, M.D., M.B.A, dean of RUSM. “This partnership with B-CU supports our shared goal of expanding educational access and opportunity, to ensure a pathway for potential doctors from diverse backgrounds to pursue their passion. Representation matters; diversifying the profession increases health equity and improves patient outcomes and the physician workforce is far from reflecting the patient community it serves.”
In 2021-2022, U.S. medical school matriculants were 11.3% Black or African American3, not yet mirroring the total U.S. population at 14.2%.4 RUSM’s student population is diverse with 16% Black or African American and has been able to outpace U.S. medical schools in graduating more Black physicians than any U.S. medical school.5
“A century ago, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune founded a hospital and created the only training school for African American nurses on the east coast. Today, we are reimagining her legacy for the 21st century by creating new opportunities in medicine for our students and alumni,” said Dr. Lawrence M. Drive, B-CU interim president. “This is the first of many new partnerships and programs to give our students access to more high-skill, high-paying careers. With direct admission and scholarships at RUSM, our students have new ways to build their competencies and use their gifts, talents, and experiences to selflessly change the world for the better.”
B-CU is a private, historically Black university with a rich history, beloved traditions and a strong commitment to academic excellence and community service. The mission of B-CU is to educate a diverse community of learners to become responsible, productive citizens and solution seekers through the promotion of faith, scholarship, creative endeavors, leadership, and service.
“While on the campus in Barbados, I was able to interact with faculty who blew me away with the level of passion, excitement and commitment they have toward their students,” said Christopher Davis, PhD, associate professor of biology and chemistry, Bethune-Cookman University. “Their facilities and classrooms are innovative, engaging, and interactive. RUSM students are provided with an exceptional environment to learn and immerse themselves in medicine, and the faculty are invested in their students to help them on a path to success after graduation.”
