PURPOSE: To determine characteristics and individual experiences that contribute to black men's success in being admitted to and graduating from medical school. METHOD: In 2010, one of the authors, a black man, interviewed 10 black male medical students enrolled at Florida State University College of Medicine and 3 black male physicians associated with that school, using consensual qualitative research methodology to analyze the data. The investigators recorded and transcribed the interviews, coded them to determine themes, and identified an overarching theoretical construct. RESULTS: The authors identified six broad contributors to successful admission to and completion of medical school: social support, education, exposure to the field of medicine, group identity, faith, and social responsibility. The six categories were subsequently grouped into four major themes: educational experiences, exposure to medicine, psychosocial-cultural experiences, and personal attributes and individual perceptions. The metaphor of a table (success) with four legs (four major themes) illustrates the complex dynamics that contribute to success. CONCLUSIONS: The success of black men and the factors that contribute to that success guided this study. The results reinforced the conclusion that success for black men is achieved via a balance between educational experiences, exposure to medicine, psychosocial-cultural experiences, and personal attributes and individual perceptions. This information can be used by medical schools to strengthen their outreach programs, provide a theoretical construct for discussion and research, and generate questions for future quantitative studies.
PURPOSE: To determine characteristics and individual experiences that contribute to black men's success in being admitted to and graduating from medical school. METHOD: In 2010, one of the authors, a black man, interviewed 10 black male medical students enrolled at Florida State University College of Medicine and 3 black male physicians associated with that school, using consensual qualitative research methodology to analyze the data. The investigators recorded and transcribed the interviews, coded them to determine themes, and identified an overarching theoretical construct. RESULTS: The authors identified six broad contributors to successful admission to and completion of medical school: social support, education, exposure to the field of medicine, group identity, faith, and social responsibility. The six categories were subsequently grouped into four major themes: educational experiences, exposure to medicine, psychosocial-cultural experiences, and personal attributes and individual perceptions. The metaphor of a table (success) with four legs (four major themes) illustrates the complex dynamics that contribute to success. CONCLUSIONS: The success of black men and the factors that contribute to that success guided this study. The results reinforced the conclusion that success for black men is achieved via a balance between educational experiences, exposure to medicine, psychosocial-cultural experiences, and personal attributes and individual perceptions. This information can be used by medical schools to strengthen their outreach programs, provide a theoretical construct for discussion and research, and generate questions for future quantitative studies.