MEDUNSA AND THE TRAINING OF BLACK DOCTORS FOR SOUTH-AFRICA

Medunsa, the Medical University of Southern Africa, was founded in 197 6 to address both the underrepresentation of blacks in the health prof essions and the lack of good health care in the homelands. The univers ity trains most fo the black physicians, dentists, veterinarians, and allied health professionals in South Africa, and it places a great emp hasis on community service and preventive medicine. Medunsa also has p rograms to help socially and academically disadvantaged applicants. In some respects, the ongoing development of Medunsa mirrors that of his torically black health professions schools in the United States, and M edunsa struggles with some of the same problems. Medunsa can learn fro m the histories of these American schools as it faces the challenges o f the post-apartheid era; in turn, all U.S. schools can learn from Med unsa's history as they struggle with physician supply questions and he alth care reform issues.