The White House on Monday praised the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education’s decision to retire diversity, equity and inclusion accreditation requirements and close its Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, saying the move aligns with federal directives aimed at eliminating DEI mandates.
"President Trump is protecting civil rights and restoring merit-based opportunity. Organizations like the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education are making the right decision by choosing to no longer waste resources on divisive DEI departments," White House assistant press secretary Liz Huston told Fox News Digital. "Individual dignity, hard work and excellence are the foundation of American greatness, and these demeaning 'equity' mandates have no place in our institutions."
In a statement released last week, ACGME said it would comply with "recent federal directives, including executive orders and a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services," which the organization said have prohibited accrediting bodies from requiring or encouraging a focus on DEI. The nonprofit, which sets and monitors standards for graduate medical education including residencies and fellowships, said it is retiring DEI-specific accreditation requirements, updating policies and procedures, and closing its Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
ACGME said it will assist "stakeholders through this transition" and will ensure "their accreditation system reflects both the highest standards of medical education for all residents and fellows serving all patients and the current regulatory landscape." The organization did not provide a specific timeline for the policy changes in the release.
The White House framed the move as part of an administration effort to remove institutional DEI mandates. The ACGME statement referenced a proposed rule from CMS and executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, which federal officials and advocates said were intended to restrict the use of DEI requirements by entities that oversee or receive federal funds for graduate medical education.
Fox News Digital sought comment from the Department of Education.
The action by ACGME follows similar steps taken by other institutions in response to federal directives concerning DEI. Supporters of ending DEI mandates say the measures restore merit-based standards and reduce what they call ideological initiatives in professional and educational settings. Opponents have argued that removing DEI requirements could hinder efforts to address inequality in access to education and professional opportunities.
ACGME’s decisions affect programs and hospitals that participate in graduate medical education and receive Medicare payments; such institutions often rely on ACGME accreditation as a benchmark for training quality. The organization’s announcement marks a notable policy shift for a key accreditor in U.S. medical education and is likely to prompt further discussion among medical schools, residency programs and federal regulators about how accreditation standards will evolve under the new directives.
As institutions adjust to the changes, stakeholders in graduate medical education said ACGME’s stated commitment to assist during the transition will be a focal point for program directors, hospital administrators and trainees monitoring how accreditation expectations are revised.