News5 Cleveland recently spoke with first-year College of Medicine student Roy James II about his challenges as a Black male pursuing a career as a physician.

There is a dearth of Black male physicians, and the numbers aren’t improving, according to the news story. A 1978 report counted 542 Black matriculants to M.D.-granting institutions and even fewer (just 515) were reported in 2014.

James, who hopes to become an orthopaedic surgeon, said that navigating hurdles like the application process for medical school was challenging. So as the co-chair of mentorship of the Student National Medical Association, James is getting involved in mentorship programs for college students. “I feel like you don’t need to wait until you’ve made it, like trying to pull other people up alongside you,” he said.

Read the News5 Cleveland story