This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A new study highlights the promising early impact of Sneakers to Scrubs (S2S), a medical pathways program founded by Black medical students and former athletes to address the severe underrepresentation of Black men in medicine. Data showed that in its first year, S2S engaged more than 2,000 Black male youths through sports-centered mentorship and more than 60 educational events.
True to the program's name, S2S volunteers wearing scrubs host training sessions on topics such as concussion awareness and first aid, and discuss a wide range of medical careers. "We wanted to create an actionable and realistic way to help address the significant underrepresentation of Black men in medicine," said Jameel Alausa, a fourth-year student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and the co-founder and CEO of S2S. The study, published in Academic Pediatrics, found that early S2S efforts significantly boosted participants' awareness of medical careers, helped connect them to mentors and role models, and drove their enrollment in established medical pathway programs.
Black men make up an estimated 7% of the U.S. adult population, but they represent only 2.6% of practicing physicians. That gap has real consequences: Research has indicated that when Black patients receive care from Black doctors, communication improves, trust deepens and engagement increases, all of which can lead to better health outcomes. Underrepresentation can also become a self-fulfilling prophecy, the study authors said.
That's because many Black male youths lack Black male physician role models who can make the career path seem realistic and attractive. In 2023, Alausa and a group of Chicago-area medical students—including several former Division I and professional athletes—launched S2S with the goal of connecting Black youths from middle school through college to medical careers. "Given our own backgrounds as high-level athletes, we recognized that sports could be a powerful platform for connecting with young Black men," said Alausa, a co-author of the study.
"We wanted to leverage that shared interest to provide exposure, mentorship and opportunities in medicine that many participants may not otherwise have access to." The S2S program is organized into three tiers—Explore Med (middle school), Experience Med (high school) and Excel in Med (college and postbaccalaureate)—and layers mentorship, tutoring, training and workshops onto activities that already draw in Black male student-athletes. Mentors are medical students, residents and attending physicians who share both clinical and athletic backgrounds. The program also serves as an on-ramp to three established pathways initiatives at UChicago: the Health Professionals Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP); Medical Careers Exposure and Emergency Preparedness (MedCEEP); and the Daniel Hale Williams Medical Bootcamp (DHWMB).
After S2S launched, Black male enrollment in all three programs jumped significantly. Co-founder Marcus Allen, a former NBA player and fourth-year Pritzker student, said the growth reflects the power of building relationships before pitching a career path. "You just have to build trust in the community," said Allen, who is also a co-author of the study.
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