Do No Harm v. Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons

The Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons (SOMOS)—in partnership with the U.S. Navy—runs a scholarship program that furthers the organization’s goal of advancing the practice of military orthopaedic surgery through education and research. The E. Anthony Rankin Scholarship Program sends students to a four-week immersive experience at one of two military hospitals, giving students unique access to the practice of orthopaedic surgery in a military setting. Students who are accepted into the program can receive up to a $12,000 award.

However, this scholarship opportunity is only available to students who “identify with an underrepresented racial background in orthopaedics.” Such a career-advancing program is off limits to white medical students.

One of Do No Harm’s members wants to apply to the scholarship program and is particularly interested in learning about orthopedics in the military context. The SOMOS scholarship program is perfectly tailored to his career interests, but because of his race, he is unable to compete for the scholarship on an equal footing.

This is illegal and unconstitutional. Do No Harm is filing a lawsuit against SOMOS and various government officials on behalf of our members, seeking to stop the discrimination.

Programs like the E. Rankin Scholarship should be based on the quality and merit of the applicants, not their race.