Black physicians and minority group health care--the impact of NMF.

Abstract

This paper is part of a study conducted in 1973-1974 to assess the programs of National Medical Fellowships, Inc. (NMF). NMF is a private organization founded in 1946 to improve medical services to black communities and, later, to all minority groups. The approach of NMF was to provide aid for training of black physicians. Data from questionnaire returns from NMF grant recipients and from "other" black physicians, as well as records of the organization, indicate that NMF was successful in increasing the number of black physicians who have specialty board certification, who have faculty appointments at predominantly white medical schools, and who have staff appointments at predominantly white hospitals. NMF recipients also were active in breaking down racial barriers. However, the data we collected do not indicate that these developments have improved the medical services to lower class minority communities.