A Pathway Into Healthcare
Our people belong in medicine.
For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples have practiced healing that extends beyond the boundaries of Western medicine. Through cultural practices, traditional knowledge, and natural medicines, we have cared for the body, mind, and spirit.
Yes, we belong in medicine. But our connection runs deeper than belonging: we have always been an integral part of medicine.
The gap we are closing
American Indian and Alaska Native people make up 2.9% of the United States population, but lack representation in health care.
Three disparities
Underfunded schools, staff shortages, historical trauma, and a lack of culturally competent guidance compound into three distinct barriers.
Access
183 Bureau of Indian Education schools across 64 reservations graduate students at a rate 13% below the national average.
Awareness
Healthcare is far bigger than becoming a doctor. Nurses, social workers, epidemiologists, and many more all play a part. Most students never learn these professions exist, or what it takes to enter them.
Aspiration
There are thousands of Native physicians, researchers, and public health leaders. Our youth need to see them, learn from them, and know that becoming one of them is possible.
Start here
Three places to begin, depending on what you need today.
Exploring Healthcare
Twenty health professions laid out plainly: what the work actually involves, how long the schooling takes, and what the path looks like from where you are now.
See the careers →Stories & Voices
Conversations with Indigenous healthcare leaders about their journeys, their insights, and the advice they have for the next generation of Native healthcare leaders.
Listen to the podcast →Opportunities & Support
Scholarships built for Native students, tuition-free pathway programs, summer programs, and the organizations that will stand behind you through the application process.
Find funding and programs →About this project
Indigenius began as a senior capstone project in the Department of Biology at Stanford University, built on a simple premise: to improve Indigenous health, we must first improve representation in the people who deliver it.