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How America’s Obsession with DEI Is Sabotaging Our Medical Schools

Discussion in 'Too Hot for Swamp Gas' started by studegator, May 3, 2023.

  1. studegator

    studegator GC Legend

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    One of our sons who works in the medical field, has been telling us about this for several years.
    How America’s Obsession with DEI Is Sabotaging Our Medical Schools
    Five years ago I was associate dean of curriculum at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, and prior to that, codirector of its highly regarded kidney division. Around that time, Penn’s vice dean for education started to advocate that we train medical students to be activists for “social justice.” The university also implemented a new “pipeline program,” allowing ten students a year from HBCUs (historically black colleges or universities) to attend its med school after maintaining a 3.6 GPA but no other academic requirement, including not taking the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test). And the university has also created a project called Penn Medicine and the Afterlives of Slavery Project (PMAS) in order to “reshape medical education. . . by creating social justice-informed medical curricula that use race critically and in an evidence-based way to train the next generation of race-conscious physicians.” Finally, twenty clinical departments at the medical school now have vice chairs for diversity and inclusion.
    Although some discussion of social ills does belong in the medical curriculum, I’ve always understood the physician’s main role to be a healer of the individual patient. When I said as much in a Wall Street Journal op-ed in 2019, “Take Two Aspirin and Call Me by My Pronouns,” a Twitter mob—composed largely of fellow physicians—denounced my arguments as racist. Over 150 Penn med school alumni signed an open letter condemning me. Meanwhile, my name has since been scrubbed from the university’s website and I’ve been excised from a short history of the kidney division.
    Similar outrage greeted the outgoing president of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, John Calhoon, when, in a speech to members in January, he encouraged them always to “search for the best candidate” and noted “affirmative action is not equal opportunity.” Within 24 hours, the society denounced Calhoon’s speech for being “inconsistent with STS’s core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” and its incoming president announced, “We are going to do what we can to re-earn the trust of our members who have been hurt.” Apparently no one thought to ask the 170,000 Americans who annually undergo a coronary bypass—the most common form of thoracic surgery—if they, too, might prefer to be operated on by “the best candidate.”
    A lot more in the article----
     
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  2. Gatorrick22

    Gatorrick22 GC Hall of Fame

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    Putting politics in all aspects of our educational life is like preparing the American people/educated professionals for life after the Constitutional right that we enjoy disappeared into a NWO of communism. Where every stinking moment if your life is a constant barrage of politically motivated indoctrination.

    All part of the plan.

    Meritocracy is the only answer.
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2023
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  3. G8tas

    G8tas GC Hall of Fame

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    So what's the problem OP?
     
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  4. gator_lawyer

    gator_lawyer VIP Member

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    The actual facts show that the lack of diversity in the medical field is a major problem, harming members of underrepresented groups (particularly Black people). But sure, allowing Black people to go to medical school "sabotages" it.
    Only 5.7% of US doctors are Black, and experts warn the shortage harms public health | CNN
    In counties with more Black doctors, Black people live longer, ‘astonishing’ study finds
    After 40 years, medical schools are admitting fewer Black male or Native American students
    When It Comes to U.S. Health Systems—Diversity Matters

    Also, unconscious bias is a major issue in the medical profession, so yes, it's a good idea that they're training our future physicians on how to mitigate those biases.
    What Is Implicit Bias, How Does It Affect Healthcare?

    Shocking that this guy got called out for being a racist. Maybe you can post about Amy Wax next.

    EDIT: I see it's Bari Weiss's rag. Yep, that tracks.

    Second EDIT: BTW, the racist doctor you're platforming has defended the race-based formula for kidney transplants that has disadvantaged Black people for a long time.
    A yearslong push to remove racist bias from kidney testing gains new ground
    UpToDate has a racism problem. Its name is Dr. Stanley Goldfarb
     
    Last edited: May 3, 2023
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  5. citygator

    citygator VIP Member

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    Meh. My son is 3rd year med student. The program is rigorous and no one gets through without knowing what they are doing. It’s all based on merit.

    Black med students wash out at a higher rate than whites likely from support issues as well as lower preparation going in however if you graduate med school you are qualified. Still grad rates are 97% and 95% so black or white they are selecting students who can pass.

    Getting black doctors qualified should be a public goal since it has public health benefits.

    What is the issue?
     
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  6. l_boy

    l_boy 5500

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    So the question becomes, does our current admissions process generate the best doctors? Is a white person with wealthy parents going to private schools with tutors and studying for tests like the MCAT going to get you the best and most qualified doctors? I’m not so sure that is entirely the case.

    You would be at least partially right if it was demonstrably true that the current process generates the best doctors. However it may just be a ranking system that we have chosen.

    I do think it can be harmful when racial preferences lead to unqualified or less qualified job candidates. It does happen sometimes, and it perpetuates a perception that those benefitting from racial preferences are less qualified. But I can’t say with confidence either way that this is an example of that.

    To put this in context, many people who can’t get into medical school can become doctors of osteopath. From what I understand DOs can go into many of the specializations that MDs do and can get internships and residencies alongside MDs.
     
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  7. wgbgator

    wgbgator Premium Member

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    Unless you think the best doctors come from families that are wealthy enough to send them to college and med school (and do tutoring and test prep, etc), seems like some version of "DEI" might be useful to you know, allow people from poor or rural areas a pathway into medicine.
     
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  8. wgbgator

    wgbgator Premium Member

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    The idea that America was some kind of meritocracy before these efforts became a thing is a dubious one too!
     
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  9. Orange_and_Bluke

    Orange_and_Bluke Premium Member

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    So how did guys like Ben Carson make it into high level medicine? Guy was raised dirt poor and no DEI.
     
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  10. rivergator

    rivergator Too Hot Mod Moderator VIP Member

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    PolitiFact: Fact-checking Ben Carson's life story
     
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  11. Orange_and_Bluke

    Orange_and_Bluke Premium Member

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  12. rivergator

    rivergator Too Hot Mod Moderator VIP Member

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    you can't be serious. why are we striving for diversity when we're already striving for diversity?
     
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  13. Orange_and_Bluke

    Orange_and_Bluke Premium Member

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    Exactly, it’s more bureaucratic Bs. More govt.
     
  14. wgbgator

    wgbgator Premium Member

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    Seems like pointing out that one exceptional guy did something isnt making the point you want to make here.
     
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  15. Orange_and_Bluke

    Orange_and_Bluke Premium Member

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    Right, because here in America if you push yourself, opportunities aren’t available for everyone. Lol.
    Seems you and river have been placed in the corner on this one.
    DEI is BS and superfluous because diverse people have already been rewarded with amazing opportunity.
     
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  16. wgbgator

    wgbgator Premium Member

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    This is quite literally true actually. You believe in fairy tales.
     
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  17. latergator83

    latergator83 Freshman

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    My cousin is a doctor and I know many people who have attended medical school, and every one would say this is BS, there are lots of unprepared individuals graduating medical school, hence why the graduation rate is so high. The primary filter is who gets in.
     
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  18. rivergator

    rivergator Too Hot Mod Moderator VIP Member

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    You don't want schools targeting minorities because schools are already targeting minorities? That makes sense to you?
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2023
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  19. latergator83

    latergator83 Freshman

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    Whites are actually represented at a rate equal to their share of the population, possibly even underrepresented because many doctors are older. I'm not sure why wealthy whites are being singled out here. Maby too many hard working Asians are attending medical school? Attending medical school requires a lot more than privilege. The privileged whites can get a much better deal earning 200 K at Goldman right out of undergrad.
     
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  20. wgbgator

    wgbgator Premium Member

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    The graduation rate is so high because its easy and doesn't adequately prepare you to be a doctor? If that's true (and that seems dubious to me), seems like the problem would be medical schools, not the people.
     
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