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Table 50. Postdoctoral appointees in science, engineering, and health, by citizenship, ethnicity, race, origin of doctoral degree, and field: 2015

Characteristic All science, engineering, and health Science and engineering Health
Total Science Engineering Total Clinical medicinea Other health
Total 63,861 45,295 37,639 7,656 18,566 15,850 2,716
U.S. citizens and permanent residentsb 28,726 19,593 17,072 2,521 9,133 7,830 1,303
Hispanic or Latino 1,526 1,025 917 108 501 434 67
Not Hispanic or Latino
American Indian or Alaska Native 85 56 48 8 29 25 4
Asian 5,114 3,305 2,755 550 1,809 1,586 223
Black or African American 1,061 641 559 82 420 347 73
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander 82 32 29 3 50 47 3
White 17,239 12,079 10,682 1,397 5,160 4,377 783
More than one race 394 268 244 24 126 116 10
Unknown ethnicity and race 3,225 2,187 1,838 349 1,038 898 140
Temporary visa holders 35,135 25,702 20,567 5,135 9,433 8,020 1,413
Origin of doctoral degreec
United Statesd 23,093 16,361 13,592 2,769 6,732 5,879 853
Foreign country 18,067 12,345 10,485 1,860 5,722 5,126 596
Unknown degree origin 22,701 16,589 13,562 3,027 6,112 4,845 1,267
a Includes postdoctoral appointees in anesthesiology, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, hematology, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, oncology and cancer research, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, preventive medicine and community health, psychiatry, pulmonary disease, radiology, surgery, and clinical medicine, not elsewhere classified.
b Ethnicity and race data are available only for U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
c Doctoral degree = PhD, ScD, DEng, etc.; professional degree = MD, DVM, DO, DDS, etc.; dual degree = both professional and doctoral degrees (MD-PhD, DVM-PhD, etc.).
d United States includes Puerto Rico and U.S. territories.
NOTE: "Field" refers to the field of the unit that reports postdocs to the Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering.
SOURCE: National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates in Science and Engineering, 2015.