Editor’s note: This article originally appeared as a comment to and investigation, “Disparities for Asian American Medical Students in Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism Honor Societies,” published in JAMA Network Open.
Beyond the disparities noted in this JAMA article lies a more fundamental need to re-center medical education on excellence and merit. The AΩA constitution explicitly commits the organization to “the belief that in the profession of medicine we will improve care for all by recognizing high educational achievement…” Yet the path toward that mission has grown increasingly blurred. In describing how members are selected, AΩA does not begin with merit; rather, it states its commitment to “advancing diversity and inclusion.” This marks a shift from a historical emphasis on academic rank to a modern selection process that permits schools/Chapters to weigh a broad mix of factors—many unrelated to academic performance. The result is a dilution of the very academic standards the organization claims to uphold.
Read the full comment here.