UNM: No Non-Woke Residents Allowed

What should a medical school look for in residents? At the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, the answer in the OB/GYN department is adherence to radical identity politics. Yet another medical school is putting ideology ahead of quality and merit when it comes to future physicians.

Do No Harm obtained a copy of a document titled, “OB/Gyn Residency Interview Scoring 2021-2022”, and it appears to be the grading rubric that UNM requires attending physicians to use when evaluating potential residents.

The second section of the document covers “Contributions to the OB/GYN Workforce,” yet it primarily examines how diverse the resident is. If they are African American, Latinx, or Native American, they get extra points. Ditto if they have “other intersection/identity including LGBTQIA+.” The rubric clearly states that evaluators should “consider this heavily,” even though it has no bearing on a resident’s ability to provide the best medical care.

Another section is focused on “Equity, Anti-Racist practices, [and] Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging.” It examines whether residents have proven loyal to these concepts, including the work they have done in community groups or on government policy. That’s right: It wants residents who are politically active.

The rubric suggests specific questions that evaluators could ask residents. The list includes: “What does it mean for you to have a commitment to health equity?  How do you see yourself demonstrating that commitment here?” Or: “How do you hope to integrate anti-racism in your residency and beyond?”  Once again, evaluators are instructed to “consider this heavily.”

The University of New Mexico appears to be forcing attending physicians to focus on identity politics, not individual quality. The interview outline focuses on rewarding residents who may not be the best qualified. If so, it’s threatening the health and well-being of the countless patients those residents will treat when they enter the workforce.

Here’s hoping taxpayers and policymakers in New Mexico pay attention to what UNM is doing – and more importantly, what it’s not doing.

Does your medical school or provider judge people based on their identity or ideological views instead of their individual skills? Please let us know – securely and anonymously.