Few black students in advanced math

Re Say hello to U of T’s only black first-year med student, March 9

Congratulations to Chika Oriuwa, the only black student in the first-year class at the faculty of medicine at U of T.

As a recently retired math teacher, I would like to ask her if she took calculus in her last year of high school. I guess that she did, as high marks in math and science are required for acceptance into pre-med undergraduate programs.

If we wish to welcome more black students in medical schools, these students need to take advanced-level math courses in high school, including calculus in Grade 12. I was a teacher at one of the most diverse high schools in Toronto, a school with teachers and administration who are incredibly supportive to students of all backgrounds. Many times, I was the only white person in the class, with students from at least 25 different countries. Unfortunately, it was rare to see a black student in one of the calculus classes.

To answer Dalon Taylor’s question, “the initiative is great, but my question is around where the (other) gaps are,” I would suggest that to find out why so few black students take calculus would be a good start. Olga Flax-Zatowkaniuk, Toronto