Racial and ethnic minority medical students' perceptions of and interest in careers in academic medicine.

Purpose: To describe diverse medical students' perceptions of and interest in careers in academic medicine.

Method: In 2010, the authors invited students attending three national medical student conferences to respond to a survey and participate in six focus groups. The authors identified trends in data through bivariate analyses of the quantitative dataset and using a grounded theory approach in their analysis of focus group transcripts.

Commentary: the building the next generation of academic physicians initiative: engaging medical students and residents.

Data from the 2010 U.S. Census are a reminder of the diverse patient population in the United States and the growing health care needs of Americans.