We Forced A Change at The University of Florida

A discriminatory woke scholarship is no more. 

Thanks to Do No Harm, the University of Florida College of Medicine has eliminated its requirement that only members of certain races can apply for a visiting student scholarship. This about-face comes after Do No Harm filed a complaint with the federal Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights. It’s a win for fairness and equality, which is what more medical schools across America urgently need.

Here’s what we wrote when filing our initial complaint:

“Consider the scholarship at the University of Florida College of Medicine. It is available to members of certain “racial and ethnic populations.” They spell out what that means – people who are “African Americans and/or Black, American Indian, Alaska Native, Naive Hawaiian, Hispanic/Latinx, and Pacific Islander.” The application also asks for an applicant photograph.”

Fortunately, these racially discriminatory requirements are no more. The University has informed us that it has made the necessary changes and notified students. 

We’re grateful to the University of Florida’s leadership for taking our complaint seriously and then taking action to right this wrong. Other medical schools should learn from its example, especially the 30-plus institutions which we’ve brought to the attention of the Office of Civil Rights. Racial discrimination is unacceptable – in scholarships and every other facet of medical education.

Does your medical school offer a discriminatory scholarship? Please let us know – anonymously and securely.