If asked to envision a pilot, you’d probably picture a man wearing a blue/black suit with yellow shoulder stripes and a cap. If you were asked to envision a mechanic, you’d probably describe a man in an oversized, navy blue onesie with grease stains all over it.

So is it surprising that the archetype of a physician is still that of a middle-aged, (generally) White male with slightly grey hair and a white button-down coat to match? Search ‘doctor’ on Google and check out the first couple of images that pop-up. Go ahead and try it. We’ll wait!

Paving Way for Minorities in Medical School

Fortunately, times have changed, and the new face of medicine (or any other professions) are far from those ‘Truman show-esque’ archetypes. Nowadays, doctors come in all shapes and sizes, from all cultural backgrounds. There isn’t one perfect mold for the physician anymore.

With the influx of physicians from around the world entering medical practice in the USA and Canada, this has helped minorities that were long underrepresented in medicine forge new career paths. With growing populations, underserved areas, and heavy representations of various ethnic groups in highly dense communities, local educational institutions are taking notice and selecting medical school applicants that will represent these populations.

Let us look at Black students for example. In the United States, among the American medical colleges that graduated 350 or more Black physicians, only two schools had the highest number of graduates internationally. Across the border in Canada, it’s even worse. In 2016, the University of Toronto had one Black medical student in a class of approximately 260.

Introducing Diversity in Medical Studies

Caribbean medical schools have played a crucial role in introducing more people into the profession. This is simply because prospective students seeking a medical education at a Caribbean institution come from all over the world to complete their studies. Many schools in the Caribbean enroll students from all across Africa, India, the Middle East, South America, and Europe.

Today, if you visit large, well-known healthcare establishments, you’ll be welcomed by physicians from around the world. This fundamentally sends a clear message that the face of medicine has changed.

At UMCAS, we’ve made it our mission to help aspiring physicians from across the globe. To achieve their dreams by connecting them with accredited institutions in the Caribbean. If you are thinking about a career in medicine, start that journey with the Universal Medical College Application Service today. It’s free to join and only takes a couple of minutes to set up before you’re instantly connected with numerous medical schools abroad.

If you didn’t already know, it pays to apply through UMCAS. Participating schools waive their application fee for our users. All you have to do is purchase UMCAS credits and you’re ready to go. Sign up for free today.

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in medicine, check out our last blog post on shadowing a physician and how to maximize your experience.