Trends in minority representation in health professions and efforts to expand opportunity are discussed, and information on minority medical training programs of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is provided. During the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, public and private sector programs promoted minority recruitment, admissions, and retention policies for medical schools. From the mid-1970s onward, there has been a loss of momentum in efforts to increase ethnic diversity among medical students. Ways to increase the qualifications and size of the minority applicant pool for medical schools for the 1990s are addressed, including: improving academic skills and scores on the Medical College Admission Test, identifying potential physicians, providing role models and mentors, and providing financial aid. Training provided to blacks by the historically black colleges and medical schools is considered, along with the provision of health care to minorities. Types of programs funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are identified, as are the minority or nonminority disadvantaged groups served and participating schools for each program. Case studies of four minority individuals are presented, along with information on minorities in law and engineering. (SW)