Commentary
Osteopathic Medicine Association Doubles Down on DEI Mission in Revised Standards for Accreditation
The American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine’s (AACOM) accrediting body is doubling down on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies even though the U.S. Supreme Court ruled race-based admissions policies and practices are unconstitutional. This is just more evidence that medical schools plan to prioritize radical ideology in academic curricula and culture. Osteopathic schools, which confer the D.O. (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degree, have a similar accreditation process that traditional allopathic schools (which confer the M.D. degree) have. The AACOM has the same level of influence over osteopathic schools that the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has over allopathic schools, and develops similar accreditation standards.
Commentary
KU Medical Center and the KU School of Medicine Continue to Facilitate Radical Programs and Initiatives
In April 2023 we reported that the KU Medical Center (KUMC) and the University of Kansas School of Medicine (KUSOM) were partnering with the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) to sponsor the REPAIR Project, a far-left anti-racism program. But a subsequent public records request has revealed KUMC’s plans for how to inject divisive anti-racism ideology into the KUSOM curriculum. In response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, Do No Harm obtained the Scope of Work document for the KU Medical Center REPAIR Project collaboration with The Black Archives of Mid-America in Kansas City.
Commentary
New JAMA Commentary Illustrates Perils of Medical Mission Creep
Doctors are experts in their craft. But that expertise doesn’t always translate to other disciplines. Newly published commentary in the Journal of the American Medical Association highlights the perils of medical mission creep and the belief that doctors can and should solve all of the world’s problems. “Diversifying the medical pathway in a post-affirmative action world” begins with lamentation about the Supreme Court’s decision on race-based college admissions. In what has become a familiar pattern, they cherry pick a small number of studies which suggest that patients receive better care from doctors of their own race or ethnicity. In so doing, they ignore a much larger body of evidence which indicates that no such phenomenon exists.
Commentary
Association Forwards Biden Administration Guidance on SCOTUS Affirmative Action Decision to Medical Schools Seeking Accreditation
Documents obtained by Do No Harm via Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests show the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), which has a say in whether medical schools get accredited, forwarded to medical schools guidance published by the Biden Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Education (DOE) concerning the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision holding that race-based admissions programs in higher education violate the Constitution. A “Dear Colleague” letter, dated August 14 and signed by Kristen Clarke, assistant attorney general, Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Justice, and Catherine E. Lhamon, assistant secretary for civil rights, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, condemned the Court’s ruling, stating it “restricts approaches that institutions of higher education have been using for decades to provide students the educational benefits that derive from diverse and vibrant campus communities.”
Commentary
The University of Nebraska College of Medicine Purges Its Website of Two Discriminatory Programs Following Initiation of Federal Civil Rights Investigation
Two “Underrepresented Minority Students in Medicine (URiM)” programs at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine (UNCOM) have been removed from the school’s website following the filing of a federal civil rights complaint and subsequent federal investigation. Until the federal investigation was opened this week, the UNCOM Department of Dermatology was offering the Dr. Kristie Hayes Visiting URiM Medical Student Externship in Dermatology and the Karle Cordova Olnes UNMC Dermatology URiM Summer Medical Student Research Fellowship on its DEI Opportunities page (archived version). Both programs noted: “Preference will be given to students considered underrepresented in medicine: Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Pacific Islander/Native Hawaiian.”
Commentary
Dr. Ivan Abdouch worked with transgender adults for 30 years. Now he’s speaking out to protect children.
Growing up, Dr. Ivan Abdouch had no intention of being a doctor. He wanted to be a mechanic, then explored college majors, but plans changed when his grandfather had a heart attack and was not expected to survive. Ivan rushed to the hospital and prepared to say goodbye. He remembers the moment a doctor entered the room and saved his grandfather, who went on to live another 30 years. Ivan found his way to medical school after that, where he met another doctor who changed his life.
Commentary
AAMC Peddles Misinformation Through its Own Peer-Reviewed Journal
Peer reviewed journals are entrusted to be truthful and reliable sources of medical information. Unfortunately, they are forsaking the principles of rigor and honesty in favor of political correctness. A recent and egregious example comes by way of Academic Medicine, the flagship journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). In “SHARPening Residency Selection: Implementing a Systematic Holistic Application Review Process,” the authors begin with the premise that “Traditional metrics used in residency application review processes are systematically biased against applicants from minoritized communities that are underrepresented in medicine (URiM).” They use this premise to launch a screed against traditional medical school admission metrics (e.g. GPA and MCAT scores) and in favor of a “holistic” admissions process.
Commentary
California Medical Association Advocates for $700 Million Project for “Equity and Practice Transformation”
Does California ever get its fill of massive spending on woke health equity projects? Apparently not, according to the hundreds of millions of dollars the state is pouring into efforts to alter the way healthcare is delivered in medical practices. The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), the self-proclaimed “backbone of California’s health care safety net,” is dedicating $700 million to a “practice transformation program” for primary care providers (PCP). Called the Equity and Practice Transformation (EPT) Payments Program, the goal is to promote health equity, align with the DHCS Comprehensive Quality Strategy and Equity Roadmap, and provide funding for PCPs whose practices serve Medi-Cal patients.
Commentary
Do No Harm Obtains Its 35th Federal Civil Rights Investigation as Case is Opened Against Wayne State University Scholarship Program
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has opened a federal civil rights investigation against Wayne State University for a scholarship that illegally discriminates on the basis of both race and sex. This marks the 35th instance to date that a civil rights complaint filed by Do No Harm has resulted in a federal investigation.
Commentary
Progress At Indiana’s Main Medical Association
Good news from Indiana. At its September meeting, the Indiana State Medical Association largely sided with common sense, medical ethics, and equal treatment over divisive ideology. As the primary representative of the state’s medical professionals, ISMA deserves credit for tackling tough issues and generally doing the right thing.
Commentary
California May Take Your Child From You
The radicalism of the transgender movement is boundless. Look no further than California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom may soon sign a bill that would take children away from parents who disagree with their child’s chosen gender identity. The message is clear: Support your child’s sex change, or lose your child.
Commentary
Leaders at the UMass Medical School Notified of Federal Civil Rights Complaint Filing for a Discriminatory Pipeline Program
The chancellor the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMass Chan) in Worcester and the UMass General Counsel in Amherst have been notified of a federal civil rights complaint filed against a university-sponsored pipeline program that discriminates on the basis of race.
Commentary
Yet Another Attempt to Circumvent the Supreme Court’s Ruling to End Race-Conscious Admissions
The American Medical Association is prodding medical schools to find workarounds to the Supreme Court’s ban on race-based college admissions. They aren’t alone. An article on a popular medical news and opinion site (KevinMD.com) features statements from other key players in the healthcare establishment who “retaliated [to the Court decision] by vowing to continue affirmative action practices.”
Commentary
The University of Iowa College of Nursing Takes Down Its “Anti-Oppression Statement” – But There’s Still Plenty of DEI To Go Around
The state of Iowa has a legacy of common-sense principles. Unfortunately, one needs to look no further than the University of Iowa – and especially the College of Nursing – for a heavy dose of woke ideology.
Commentary
The University of Colorado School of Medicine Suddenly Scrubs Its Website After Being Hit with Federal Civil Rights Complaint
The University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM) promoted three discriminatory scholarships for “historically underrepresented” groups on its website – that is, until they were notified by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) that those programs were being challenged. On June 4, 2023, Do No Harm senior fellow Mark Perry…
Commentary
Do No Harm Submits Comment to CMS: Payment Policies Must Not Be Based On “Health Equity Goals” of the Biden Administration
Do No Harm chairman Dr. Stanley Goldfarb submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the proposed rule CMS–1784–P, which seeks to make changes to the way healthcare providers are paid for their services.
Commentary
A Federal Civil Rights Investigation is Underway at the University of Delaware
The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has opened a federal civil rights investigation against the University of Delaware (UD) for a program that discriminates on the basis of sex.
Commentary
The Indiana University School of Medicine Just Can’t Get Enough of Woke Ideologies
The Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) is at it again pushing more identity politics on faculty and staff, this time with an online learning course called Mitigating Unconscious Bias in Decision-Making. Do No Harm has previously covered IU’s other woke offerings, such as a training module from the IU Office of Academic Affairs that instructed job search committee members to consider their “implicit bias” and “whiteness” in the course of evaluating applicants, rather than focusing solely on their experience and suitability for the position.
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