The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), along with 45 health professional and educational organizations, has submitted an amicus curiae brief to the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) supporting limited consideration of an applicant’s racial or ethnic background or experiences in higher ed admissions in the Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admission v. University of North Carolina cases.
The two cases challenge limited consideration of race and ethnicity in higher ed admissions – the constitutionality of this limited consideration has been upheld by the SCOTUS repeatedly for more than forty years.
“Numerous studies have consistently demonstrated health inequities along racial and ethnic lines in nearly every index of human health, and evidence shows that increased racial diversity in the health professions can help close that gap,” said Dr. David J. Skorton, AAMC president and CEO. “The AAMC has long supported the limited consideration of race and ethnicity in admissions where necessary and in support of a medical school’s mission, with deference to each school’s individualized admissions process and expertise.”
The brief stresses ongoing underrepresentation of racial and ethnic groups in medicine. A ban on such considerations in applications will dramatically reduce minority enrollment, as seen in studies of schools in states with bans on the consideration of race.
Studies have shown that racially and ethnically diverse health care teams produce better and more equitable patient outcomes. Physicians with racially or ethnically diverse peers have higher cultural competence.
