Preserving a critical pathway

The Medical School fights to save the Center of American Indian and Minority Health

Recent federal budget cuts threaten a successful University of Minnesota program that has graduated more American Indian physicians than all but one other medical school in this country. The Center of American Indian and Minority Health (CAIMH), located on the University of Minnesota Medical School's Minneapolis and Duluth campuses (see the spring 2005 issue of the Medical Bulletin), lost 83 percent of its budget when its federal funding ended September 1. The Medical School is seeking support from Congress, possibly the state legislature, and private donors to replace those funds. Without that support, fewer students will be able to participate in this popular program that encourages Native Americans to go to school, stay in school, and graduate from college and medical school.

We asked Medical School Dean Deborah Powell about CAIMH's successes, what the cuts mean for its programs, and why she believes it is crucial that the center survive.

How well has the Medical School served Native American students?

I am proud to say that the University of Minnesota Medical School ranks second in the nation in the number of Native American medical graduates—123 over the last 30 years, or more than 7 percent of the American Indian doctors practicing in the United States. And half of those physicians serve American Indian communities. This year, 14 American Indian students entered the Medical School, for a total enrollment of 32—the highest number in the school's history.

These results are the product of visionary educators who in the early 1970s were alarmed by the mortality rates of underserved native communities, appreciated the value of diversity in our classrooms, and recruited, taught, coached, and nurtured American Indian students.

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