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Despite some initial success in the early 1970s, the important goal of increasing the numbers of underrepresented minorities in medical school and on medical faculties has stalled short of proportionate representation. To further the current efforts of the Association of Professors in Medicine (APM) and other national medical groups that are devoted to improving the numbers of minorities in medicine, ideas and program information must be shared among institutions. In this spirit, we review our experience at Massachusetts General Hospital. We found that the first step toward this goal must be an institutional commitment based on increased awareness and on special effort focused on housestaff recruitment. Once the numbers of minorities increase, the department chairperson, training program directors, and other involved faculty can work with younger minority physicians; the cooperative relationship thus created can guide the development of a strong minority recruitment program without requiring an undue time commitment from minority trainees and faculty. The APM has a combined goal: to achieve early practical results in individual departments, to play a catalytic role with the community and other national medical organizations, and to increase the number of minorities entering medical school and careers in medicine generally.

A national survey of department of medicine chairmen was conducted to learn their views of the status of academic general internal medicine. Developing a research program in general internal medicine was considered a high priority by 60% of the department chairmen at the time their general internal medicine divisions were established, and by 1981, 83% considered this a high priority. However, only 17% stated that significant progress had been made by the division at their institutions toward achieving this goal. Chairmen identified problems with funding for research, their faculty's ability to do research, and available time of faculty to conduct research. They stated their intention to assist the division of general internal medicine in developing a research program through financial and organizational support. At least two thirds planned to recruit selectively general internal medicine faculty who had research backgrounds and interests and to require the existing faculty to do research as a condition for continued appointment.