AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, and Frank Trinity, JD, AAMC chief legal officer, issued the following statement on the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in Students for Fair Admissions v University of North Carolina and Students for Fair Admissions v Harvard:
“We are deeply disappointed with the US Supreme Court’s decision to dismantle its longstanding precedent in the 2003 case, Grutter v. Bollingers, which had recognized student body diversity as a compelling interest permitting the limited consideration of race in admissions. Today’s decision demonstrates a lack of understanding of the critical benefits of racial and ethnic diversity in educational settings and a failure to recognize the urgent need to address health inequities in our country.
The AAMC, informed by decades of research, recognizes the undeniable benefits of diversity for improving the health of people everywhere. We remain committed to enhancing health professional education and practice by emphasizing critical thinking, innovation, effective communication with all patients, and increasing access to patient care for an increasingly diverse population.
In addition, the AAMC believes that a diverse and inclusive biomedical research workforce with individuals from historically excluded and underrepresented groups in biomedical research is critical to gathering the range of perspectives needed to identify and solve the complex scientific problems of today and tomorrow.
The AAMC and its member institutions are committed to providing the most effective medical education and patient care, as well as advancing scientific discovery to improve lives in our communities. We will work together to adapt to following today’s court decisions without compromising these goals. The health of everyone depends on it.”
For more information on the impact of race-conscious admissions on medical education, visit aamc.org/SCOTUSadmissions.
The AAMC welcomes our member medical schools, teaching hospitals and health systems, and academic medical societies, as well as organizations focused on health, education and research to affirm our statement. If you wish to be added to the list of signatures, please contact [email protected] (include “Statement Support” in the subject line).
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