Congressional Bill Would Ban DEI in Medical Schools
The latest in a slew of attacks on DEI that will harm science and public health
Anti-DEI Legislation is Ramping Up
Congressional Representatives Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Greg Murphy (R-NC) introduced a bill in March of this year that would ban diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programming at medical schools. They are calling it the “Embracing anti-Discrimination, Unbiased Curricula, and Advancing Truth in Education (EDUCATE) Act.” The bill has 35 Republican cosponsors. The Association of American Medical Colleges actively opposes the legislation.
The bill seeks to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to limit federal funding for medical schools that embrace DEI. It would affect federal student loans as well as research grants. The bill would bar medical schools receiving federal dollars from acknowledging that “America is systematically, structurally, or institutionally racist.” The legislation also would bar medical schools from “establishing a privilege or benefit for students solely on the basis of race, color, or ethnicity.” It would defund any medical schools with DEI offices, officers, or equivalents. It also would hamstring medical schools from teaching DEI courses.
The impetus for the bill seems to take aim at affirmative action. Representative Murphy has accused medical schools of lowering entry standards to increase the number of students of color. In prior reporting, when asked to provide evidence that medical schools are lowering their standards for admissions, Representative Murphy’s team provided reporters with an outdated chart created by the American Enterprise Institute and some social media posts created by right-wing commentator, Ben Shapiro. Both of these sources take issue with affirmative action.
The EDUCATE Act is the latest in a slew of attacks on the incorporation of DEI at colleges and universities across the nation - fueled by the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action in college and university admissions last summer. According to Best Colleges, and as of March 22, 2024, more than 30 bills have been introduced that target DEI funding, practice, or promotion at public colleges and universities (see tracker data above as well as corresponding link to interactive map). As of March 27, 2024, nine anti-DEI bills have been signed into law across seven states.
Diversity is Linked to Health Outcomes in the Medical Field
“Although Black and Hispanic people account for about 13% and 17% of the population, respectively, those groups comprise only about 5% and 6% of practicing physicians,” according to a report published in the American Heart Association journal, Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. The report was developed as part of an expert roundtable held by the Association of Black Cardiologists in 2021. The report states, “Although medical school applications in the United States increased by 47% between 1980 and 2016, Black and Hispanic applicants increased by only 1.2%.” Findings that stand in stark contrast to research carried out by the American Enterprise Institute and cited by supporters of the EDUCATE Act.
The lack of diversity in the medical field is important as it’s linked to poorer health outcomes for patients, access to care, and affects medical worker’s experience and retention. For example, research has shown that White medical students and residents have racial biases in assessing patient’s pain which affects their treatment recommendations. The sex of a patient also has been shown to bias physician’s treatment of chest pain. The Associated Press has highlighted many of the health disparities faced by Black people living in the U.S. - some a result of racial biases held by physicians.
A more diverse medical workforce would improve patient health outcomes and access to care. In a July 2023 blog posted by The Commonwealth Fund, it was noted that “When Black patients are treated by Black doctors, they are more satisfied with their health care, more likely to have received the preventive care they needed in the past year, and are more likely to agree to recommended care like blood tests and flu shots.” A 2019 study published in The Journal of National Medical Association that reviewed 16 large-scale studies or meta-analyses showed positive associations between diversity, quality, and financial performance in the healthcare industry. The authors of the study concluded that diversity helps improve patient health quality.
A Lack of Diversity Will Harm Science & Policy
When the Supreme Court overturned affirmative action in college admissions last year, I surmised that such a decision would hurt the U.S. scientific enterprise. This is because the decision will inevitably decrease diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Fields that already lack a diverse workforce. Such a lack of diversity is harmful to science given that diverse workforces are linked to higher quality outcomes, and they are often more efficient.
If the quality of our science is weakened, then so is the effectiveness of government policies that are informed by that science. Policies that affect our quality of healthcare, the safety and efficacy of the medicine we take, the amount of air pollution we are exposed to.
Nine laws have been passed that limit DEI programming at academic institutions and 30 more are under consideration. Their supporters commonly claim that anti-DEI actions will lead to higher quality outcomes. If that’s true - where is the evidence?
They’re certainly going to have to do better than pointing us to Ben Shapiro’s social media posts. Cause if they keep that up then I’m afraid the real reason underlying their efforts might be exposed…maybe they already have.