TikTok gives two NC HBCUs $1 million each for medical and health career scholarships
North Carolina Central University has received $1 million to help people of color become future doctors, nurses, scientists and other health-related professions.
Video sharing app TikTok donated a total of $10 million to 10 schools that serve underrepresented students in health-related fields. That follows the company also donating $150 million earlier through a Health Heroes Relief Fund.
“This investment will ensure our students who aspire to serve on the front lines of care can complete their education and pursue solutions for some of the most challenging medical issues confronting our society, including COVID-19,” said NCCU Chancellor Johnson O. Akinleye in a statement.
North Carolina A&T State University will also receive $1 million.
The money is intended to support undergraduate and graduate scholarships for students pursuing medical, health and related fields.
“We believe investing in the next generation of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous doctors, nurses, pediatricians, surgeons, and other essential health care workers is one of the best ways to invest in the future of America,” the TikTok news release stated.
The funding is to support undergraduate and graduate scholarships for students pursuing medical careers or other health-related fields, according to a TikTok news release.
The release cited research that showed Black people account for 4% of doctors in the U.S., while making up 13% of the population.
A lack of diversity among physicians is one of the factors contributing to health disparities for racial and ethnic minorities, who have higher rates of disease and premature death than white people, according to a Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research working paper.
Black men are more likely to agree to preventative and invasive services after meeting with a Black doctor, the research indicated.
“The effects are most pronounced for men who have little experience obtaining routine medical care and among those who mistrust the medical system,” the paper states. “Subjects are more likely to talk with a Black doctor about their health problems and Black doctors are more likely to write additional notes about the subjects.”
A Journal of the National Medical Association study indicated financial constraints were one of the major barriers to becoming a physician.
Other schools that received the funding include Xavier University of Louisiana, Tougaloo College in Mississippi, South Carolina State University, Laredo College in Texas, University of South Dakota, Florida A&M University, Delaware State and Virginia Union University.
This story was originally published December 17, 2020 at 12:06 PM with the headline "TikTok gives two NC HBCUs $1 million each for medical and health career scholarships."
