Commentary

The Office for Civil Rights is Investigating NYU and Pitt for Discrimination

  • By Do No Harm Staff
  • August 16, 2022
  • New York University, University of Pittsburgh

In response to complaints filed by Do No Harm Senior Fellow Mark Perry, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has opened investigations of two elite medical schools for advertising and awarding scholarships that discriminate based on race or ethnicity: New York University and University of Pittsburgh. 

The NYU Grossman School of Medicine partners with its Office of Diversity Affairs to sponsor the Visiting Elective for Underrepresented in Medicine Program, which provides a stipend of up to $2,000 for visiting students whose backgrounds are underrepresented in medicine. “We define these backgrounds,” it says, “to include the following races/ethnicities: Black or African American, Latinx, Native American, Native Pacific Islander, or Native Alaskan.” 

Similarly, the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine offers the Carey Andrew-Jaja, MD Visiting Elective Scholarship Program for 4th Year Students Underrepresented in Medicine, with the same requirements and stipend amount. “Eligible candidates,” according to the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, are “from the following backgrounds/heritage: African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, and Native Alaskans.”

Title VI prohibits educational institutions that receive federal funding from discriminating “on the basis of race, color, or national origin.” 

Do No Harm works to protect healthcare against divisive ideologies and practices and calls on others to do. If you are aware of a discriminatory scholarship or policy at your medical or nursing school, or if you didn’t apply because you thought you were not eligible, please let us know.