Program Guides American Indian Students Through Medical School

Pioneer Press (St. Paul, MN): American Indians die at a rate nearly 50 percent higher than the national average for people their age, according to the U.S. Indian Health Service. There are many reasons for the deaths - accidents, suicides, chronic diseases, poverty and a lack of adequate and culturally sensitive medical care. American Indians make up 2.8 percent of the U.S. population, according to the 2000 census. But only 0.3 percent of students in the nation's medical schools in 2000 were American Indians. "Having well-trained Indian doctors go back to their communities can make a real difference," said Indian Health Service spokesman Leo Nolan. The University of Minnesota's Center of American Indian and Minority Health is working to make that difference. The center recruits American Indian students and helps them through the university's medical schools in Duluth and Minneapolis. The Minnesota center begins its recruiting efforts in middle school with programs designed to keep students interested in education and attract them to scientific fields.