Medical Associations Should Read the Room: Identity Politics are on the Way Out

Since taking office, President Trump has signed several executive orders that will likely transform the medical landscape, especially regarding medical associations’ involvement with DEI and gender ideology.

But many medical associations who have advocated strongly for child sex change interventions and DEI initiatives have yet to issue any real substantive public statement on the executive orders.

The American Medical Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Association of American Medical Colleges, for example, have not voiced their opposition to the orders despite the focus on several main areas of their political activism.

It’s almost certainly too optimistic to read this as a sign of any meaningful change in organizational priorities. But it’s not nothing.

Medical associations should take this opportunity to focus instead on the valuable and rewarding work of promoting knowledge and best practices within their specific domain, and ditch their divisive activism once and for all.

The American Academy of Family Physicians, on the other hand, may be charting a different course.

AAFP President Jen Brull, MD, wrote a blog Monday expressing dismay over President Trump’s executive orders and actions. 

“In the past two weeks, we have seen an unprecedented number of executive orders and actions that threaten the health of our patients, the practice of family medicine and the well-being of the communities we serve. The pace and scope of these changes are concerning, and I want to be clear: The AAFP shares your concerns, and we are taking action,” the blog reads.

Brull does not explicitly mention the executive orders regarding DEI and gender ideology. 

But it’s worth noting that the AAFP is a staunch advocate for DEI and child sex changes, even publicly opposing state efforts to protect children from harmful transgender medical procedures.

Moreover, in 2022, at several of the organization’s events, the AAFP held numerous DEI-focused sessions and panels, such as presentations on anti-racism. Anti-racism explicitly calls for racial discrimination to right past historical wrongs. In 2023, the AAFP’s vice president of medical education bemoaned the Supreme Court’s decision that found race-based university admissions unconstitutional, instead calling for alternative means of racial discrimination.

“Our advocacy efforts are focused on protecting patient care, defending evidence-based medicine and science, and ensuring that family physicians can continue to provide the full spectrum of care our patients need,” the blog continues. “We are pressing members of Congress to intervene where necessary, advocating for key health care programs and funding, and engaging in public and media outreach to highlight the real-world impact of these policy changes. We are also working to give you the resources and support you need to navigate this uncertain landscape.”

Do No Harm also obtained messages from an internal Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD) listserv expressing anger and dismay at many of the administration’s actions, including taking down resource pages regarding abortions procedures and HIV treatments.

Several users even compared Elon Musk and the Trump administration to Adolf Hitler and the regime of Nazi Germany.

Like the AAFP, the AFMRD is no stranger to DEI activism. The two organizations held a joint presentation on DEI milestones, while the AFMRD established a task force in 2020 “to measure diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in medical residencies across five domains: curriculum, evaluation, institution, resident pathway, and faculty pathway.”

The organization also urged its members to “get involved” with efforts to oppose anti-DEI laws and policies, including pressuring state lawmakers taking action against DEI. 

This is a make-or-break time for medical associations. 

They must choose: will they continue to double down on unpopular, divisive, and harmful practices out of ideological zeal, or will they commit to the principles of merit, excellence, and evidence-based medicine?