The forgotten history of defunct black medical schools in the 19th and 20th centuries and the impact of the Flexner Report.

There are currently four medical schools dedicated primarily to training African-American physicians. Two of these schools were established in the last 40 years. For a generation prior to that, only Howard University College of Medicine and Meharry Medical College existed. Forgotten is the history of black medical schools established in the 19th and early 20th centuries, most of which are now defunct. While barriers to the medical education of African Americans in majority institutions have largely disappeared, the continued education of students at our four present-day black medical schools is again threatened. It is incumbent upon us not to allow these modern-day threats to destroy an important resource and legacy in the annals of African-American people. This paper explores medical education in the 19th and 20th centuries, the creation of black medical schools and the forces that lead to the demise of many of these institutions. In recalling this history, we acknowledge the almost-impossible odds faced by these pioneers and learn from their mistakes and failures.