Increasing diversity in the medical field is Tino Mkorombindo’s goal, and the reason he has established Greater Influence Inc., a nonprofit that serves as a resource for minority students who plan to pursue a career in medicine.

Mkorombindo has completed his third year as a student at the University of Louisville School of Medicine. This fall he is pivoting to pursue an MBA before completing his medical education and ultimately applying for a residency position in orthopedic surgery.

A native of Zimbabwe, he grew up in California, and says the number of minority physicians in the United States is far too few to reflect the patient population.

According to the U.S. Census of 2019, those who identify as underrepresented minorities (Blacks, Mexican Americans, multi-race, mainland Puerto Ricans, and Native Americans-American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians) represent more than 36 percent of the general population. However, according to data from the Diversity in Medicine: Facts and Figures 2019 report of the Association of American Medical Colleges, individuals from these groups comprise just a little more than 12 percent of the physician workforce.

His vision for the organization is to create a space that ensures all students, from high school through medical school, have the tools they need to excel.

For more information, visit Greaterinfluence.org.