Commentary
We Found Out How Woke Wayne State University School of Medicine Really Is
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Just how woke is Michigan’s Wayne State University School of Medicine? Very woke indeed, as it just confirmed to Do No Harm.
Here’s the background. In October 2022, the Association of American Medical Colleges released a report showing that the vast majority of medical schools have embraced identity politics, despite their divisive and even discriminatory nature. The report was based on surveys of specific medical schools, which the AAMC didn’t name.
For the sake of transparency and accountability, Do No Harm submitted freedom of information requests to public medical schools nationwide, including the Wayne State University School of Medicine. We asked for a copy of its survey response, so that Michigan taxpayers and policymakers could learn the truth about this institution.
Here’s what the WSU School of Medicine has self-reported:
- It has adopted racially discriminatory admissions practices under the guise of “affirmative action.” This means it’s potentially lowering standards in the name of diversity, thereby threatening patient health.
- It has a “dedicated office, staff, or resources” dedicated to DEI. This means there’s a permanent woke bureaucracy pushing ideology on faculty and students.
- It lobbies for woke policies at the federal, state, and/or local levels. This means it’s wading into toxic public debates instead of fully focusing on educating future physicians.
- Its administrators are active within local, regional, and national forums to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion. This means it’s wasting resources that would be better spent on real medical education.
All told, WSUSOM has instituted 87.0% of the divisive and discriminatory woke policies listed by the AAMC. And you can bet it is feeling pressure from activists and outside groups to go even further down the radical rabbit hole – doing even more damage to faculty, medical students, and ultimately, the millions of patients they’ll see.

Interestingly, WSUSOM reported on its DICE Inventory that it does not provide scholarships for students from diverse backgrounds. However, the Department of Emergency Medicine sponsors the Detroit-Regional Elective Scholarship for Underrepresented Students, which has eligibility criteria that include self-identification as “Traditionally underrepresented racial/ethnic minority group (Black, Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander)” and/or “Gender/sexual orientation minority group (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender).”

These eligibility criteria violate Title VI and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits such discrimination. Do No Harm senior fellow Mark Perry has filed a federal civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for this discriminatory scholarship, which provides a $2,000 stipend to awardees. The application requires the submission of gender and race/ethnicity information, which is reviewed by emergency medicine residents and medical faculty on the Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

Michigan taxpayers help fund WSUSOM. They, and the policymakers who represent them, should ask why they’re giving so much money to an institution that’s putting divisive and discriminatory ideology at the heart of medical education. More importantly, they should ensure Wayne State University School of Medicine stops, and soon.