Fewer than six percent of physicians in the U.S. are Black and experts are worried that Trump’s ‘big bill’ could widen that disparity.
The legislation would cap federal student loans for professional degrees at $200,000. In 2024, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) said the average four year public medical school cost $286,465.
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Doctors are worried the cap on loans will result in even fewer Black medical students in the future. Studies have shown that financial barriers are just one of the many factors that make it harder for Black students to pursue medicine.
PBS News spoke to four Black medical students about how the cost of their education affects them and what they think about the future.
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