Commentary

UCSD Maintains Its Woke Ways With a Top Tier DICE Inventory Score

  • By Do No Harm Staff
  • April 10, 2023
  • University of California San Diego School of Medicine

Just how woke is California’s UC San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD SOM)? Very woke indeed, as it reported the AAMC.

Here’s the background. In November 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 UCSD School of Medicine. We asked for a copy of its survey response, so that California taxpayers and policymakers could learn the truth about this institution.

Here’s what the UCSD 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. UCSD SOM has a “holistic admissions policy,” and puts its DEI efforts front and center on the Admissions landing page.
Figure 1. UCSD School of Medicine Admissions page: This Is Us.
Figure 2. Anti-Racism Coalition Day of Action at UCSD SOM on June 8, 2020.
  • 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. UCSD SOM says its “Financial Aid Director sits on local and state committees that address financial aid inequities. California Association of Student Financial Aid Administration – State Issues Committee to provide approval or disapproval of possible assembly and senate bills related to financial aid and other student insecurities.”
  • It offers tenure and promotion to faculty who prove their commitment to extreme identity politics and woke priorities. This is a litmus test that requires faculty to toe the party line instead of teaching medicine at the highest level. The SOM cited the University of California academic policy on this topic from the Office of the President, stating, “Per APM 210-1-d – The University of California is committed to excellence and equity in every facet of its mission. Contributions in all areas of faculty achievement that promote equal opportunity and diversity should be given due recognition in the academic personnel process, and they should be evaluated and credited in the same way as other faculty achievements.”
  • 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. The UCSD SOM told the AAMC it participates in the Advisory Council for NIH’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, with the chancellor and vice chancellor being involved in other DEI-related issues on the national level.
Figure 3. UCSD SOM overall DICE Inventory score.

All told, the UCSD SOM has instituted 95.4% 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.

California taxpayers help fund the UCSD School of Medicine. 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 the UCSD SOM stops, and soon.