The University of California at San Francisco's medical school is facing accusations of discriminating against white and Asian applicants, according to a letter from the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. The department alleges that Black applicants to UCSF's medical school were admitted at a rate nearly 13 times higher than similarly qualified white applicants between 2023 and 2025. During this period, admitted Black and Hispanic students reportedly had lower average test scores and undergraduate GPAs than the average white and Asian applicants who were rejected.
This action against UCSF follows similar letters sent to other medical institutions, including UCLA, UCSD, and Yale. Reports indicate that institutions like the University of Pennsylvania have established pathways for students from historically black colleges and universities to enter medical school without requiring the MCAT exam. Data from Do No Harm suggests that at the University of Texas-Southwestern, black applicants had 21 times the odds of acceptance compared to white applicants with comparable academic credentials.
These admissions disparities are said to have roots dating back to the late 1960s. Beyond admissions, concerns have been raised about a perceived decline in academic standards and curricula within medical schools. Richard Bosshardt, a surgeon and senior fellow at Do No Harm, noted that some candidates for certification now take significantly longer to complete operations, citing a rise in post-operative complications attributed, in part, to medical schools' reluctance to hold back underperforming minority trainees. Additionally, some medical schools have reportedly reduced required courses in core medical subjects to incorporate more content on "social justice."
Despite the Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions, which prohibited race-based discrimination in admissions, some medical school leaders have publicly reaffirmed their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. UCSF Chancellor Sam Hawgood reportedly emphasized the school's dedication to "anti-racism" following the ruling. Similarly, the dean of Harvard Medical School, George Daley, stated that the institution would "never cease in our quest to level the playing field," and Dennis Charney, dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, spoke of the school's "unwavering commitment to the core principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism."
Advocates for these policies sometimes cite claims that Black patients receive better care from Black doctors, a notion debunked by some analysis. The argument is made that less qualified doctors, a consequence of these admissions practices, ultimately impact patient care. Medical schools that prioritize subjects like structural racism and decolonization over anatomy or pharmacology may produce graduates with less comprehensive qualifications.
However, not all medical schools have adopted these approaches. NYU's Grossman School of Medicine is cited as an example of a program that emphasizes excellence, ranking highly in Do No Harm's evaluations of top medical programs. The broader medical academic community faces calls for reform, with the hope that intensified scrutiny will lead institutions to re-evaluate their practices and address perceived harms.