Medical Schools Are Circumventing Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action: Report
Medical schools are reportedly finding ways to bypass the 2023 Supreme Court decision that struck down affirmative action in college admissions, according to a report by the nonprofit group Do No Harm (DNH).
DNH, an organization that advocates for removing identity politics from medical education and practice, released a report titled “Skirting SCOTUS: How Medical Schools Will Continue to Practice Racially Conscious Admissions.” The report alleged that many institutions remain ideologically committed to race-based admissions despite the court’s ruling.
“Many in the healthcare establishment nevertheless remain ideologically committed to the principle of racial favoritism and reject the virtue of race blindness” the report stated. DNH has also highlighted actions by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and specific medical schools, which it claims have “rebuked” the Supreme Court ruling by implementing policies that circumvent the decision.
The report analyzed data from 13 schools that published clear racial/ethnic demographic data for the class of 2027 and 2028, finding an increase in the proportion of Black or Hispanic students. It noted that these groups are admitted at rates exceeding their representation in the applicant pool, which DNH argues suggests race continues to be a factor in admissions.
“That fact, in conjunction with the reality that black and Hispanic matriculants to medical schools have significantly lower GPAs and MCAT scores than other matriculants, is a signal that the schools continue to penalize or reward students on the basis of race,” the report said.
Ian Kingsbury, research director at DNH, criticized the medical schools’ actions in a statement to Fox News, calling them “shocking” and “appalling.” He added, “You can see it in the data, and then you can tie that data to the statements that the schools themselves are making, where they’re publicly rebuking the Supreme Court and where they’re talking about the importance of diversity in their admissions process.”
“The sort of sobering reality is that, unfortunately, for the time being, Students for Fair Admissions has not resolved the issue of racial discrimination in higher education,” Kingsbury added. “And there’s more work to be done.”
