Xavier announces plans to add a Medical School

Xavier University of Louisiana announced last week that it is now planning to open its own medical school in New Orleans.

The historically Black university renowned for successfully ushering Black graduates into medical school made the announcement last Thursday.

According to the university, the coronavirus pandemic further highlighted the need for increased diversity in medicine, saying that the disparities affecting underrepresented populations exist because of the lack of representation and trust.

“Xavier was founded with the mission of promoting the creation of a just and humane society through education,” Verret said in a news release announcing plans for a medical school and graduate school of health sciences. “The establishment of graduate education programs dedicated to the preparation of more Black healthcare professionals is a natural extension of our foundress’ legacy as we approach our second century of service. It is also where we are called to answer a critical need of our nation.”

Xavier University, a Black Catholic university established in 1925 by Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to educate African Americans and Native Americans, has consistently graduated African-American and other students of color who continue on to complete medical degrees and health doctorates at higher rates than any other in the nation, the news release states.

Currently, there are 3,602 students matriculating at the university. Of that number, 2,815 are undergraduates, and 787 are graduate students.

Xavier’s current graduate programs in the medical field include physicians assistants and master’s degrees in public health program, speech pathology, pharmaceutical studies and health analytics.

The news release said that, in the U.S. in the last century, only one medical college has opened at an HBCU. The school says it plans to change that narrative.

“A School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Xavier will advance that mission as the university guides and nurtures students from their undergraduate studies to their selected graduate programs. In addition to being recognized for providing a quality, affordable education for all, Xavier is poised as the catalyst for change and to address needs of the local and national community,” the press release read.

No timeline or cost for the building and opening of the medical school was provided at the time of the announcement.

This article originally published in the April 25, 2022 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.