Arrr, ye scurvy medical schools be pushin' segregated medicine, mark me words! 'Tis gonna harm the poor patients!
2024-01-16
Whilst a fair few places 'ave managed to outsmart the Supreme Court's prohibition on affirmative action, 'tis the medical schools that be showin' the boldest defiance, arrr!
Affirmative action may be dead in name, but it remains alive in practice, particularly in the field of medical schools. These institutions have found ways to circumvent the Supreme Court's ban on affirmative action by arguing that recruiting more minorities is essential to patient health. They claim that matching patients with physicians of the same race improves health outcomes. However, this assertion is not backed by evidence and is, in fact, a lie. The Association of American Medical Colleges falsely claimed that Black physicians are more likely to accurately assess Black patients' pain tolerance and that having a Black physician is like a miracle drug for high-risk Black newborns. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Beccerra also emphasized the need for health workers who look like and share the experiences of the people they serve. However, these claims are misguided and only serve to perpetuate racial discrimination and re-segregate healthcare.Medical schools are continuing to discriminate by race, albeit in more subtle ways. Instead of explicitly focusing on applicants' skin color, they are now using measures like a "socioeconomic disadvantage scale," which is essentially a proxy for race. However, multiple systematic reviews of racial concordance in medicine have shown that there is no meaningful difference in care when patients and providers share the same race. Only a few outcomes showed benefits, while most showed no difference or even harm. Yet, medical schools are cherry-picking evidence that aligns with their political objectives and ignoring reality.
It is essential for medical schools to stop discriminating based on race. Physicians take an oath to help their patients, regardless of their race or appearance. The current practices of medical schools not only go against this principle but also perpetuate segregated and discriminatory healthcare. It is time for these institutions to prioritize evidence-based practices and provide equal opportunities for all aspiring medical professionals.