Reaching parity for minority medical students: a possibility or a pipe dream?

This article assesses the extent to which under-represented minorities are entering medical school and whether the gap between them and other ethnic groups is narrowing. The issues of genesis of the problem, rationale for redress, assessment of current status, and mechanisms for reaching parity are examined. The current status of underrepresented minority applicants to medical school is made and mechanisms for catalyzing the effort to reach parity with other ethnic groups in the United States are presented.