Medicine in America underwent a radical transformation in 1910. It was the year the Flexner Report was published — a document that evaluated the country’s medical schools and called for sweeping change to the entire medical education system. The report’s recommendations ultimately led to the closure of about 75 percent of U.S. medical schools, including five of the then seven Black medical colleges. In the second episode of “Color Code,” we reflect upon the Flexner Report and examine the ripple effects it had on medical education that are still felt today, especially for Black doctors.

How one 1910 report curtailed Black medical education for over a century

Hosted by award-winning journalist Nicholas St. Fleur, Color Code weaves together stories and experiences of physicians, patients, historians, and other experts to illuminate the history of racism in the health care system and how it has — and continues — to impact people of color and underserved communities.