Wright State tops in educating more crucial family docs

Boonshoft School of Medicine ranked 4th in U.S. for high number of primary care doctors, minority physicians.

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By Ben Sutherly, Staff Writer Updated 10:44 AM Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Wright State University’s medical school ranks among the top U.S. medical schools for producing primary care doctors and its percentage of blacks, Hispanics and American Indians, a report in today’s Annals of Internal Medicine says.

The school’s “social mission” score is fourth out of 141 medical schools nationwide, behind three historically black colleges: Morehouse and Meharry Medical colleges, and Howard University.

The authors said the topic is crucial as an overhaul of the nation’s health care system gets under way and doctors bypass primary care in droves for more lucrative careers in specialized medicine.

Scores reflect the percentage of graduates who enter primary care, work in underserved communities, and are underrepresented minorities.

If medical schools put out more primary care physicians and physicians who mirrored the populations they served, it would likely result in a better, more accessible and potentially more cost-effective health care system, said Dr. Candice Chen, a study co-author.

“The fact there’s so much variation between schools seems to indicate there are things medical schools can do” to improve their social mission score, Chen said. Among them: giving more emphasis to community service — in addition to grades and test scores — in recruitment and admission practices; and creating curriculum opportunities for students to work in underserved areas.

Dr. Howard Part, dean of the Boonshoft School of Medicine, said the study balances U.S. News & World Report rankings that emphasize research funding, school reputation and student selectivity.

The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, which aims to increase diversity and improve care for underserved populations, funded the study.

The school’s high ranking for its social mission may reflect its community-based nature, Part said.

“It’s remarkable how focused our students are in serving their fellow human beings.”