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Equal Opportunity in Medical School Admissions

Last Updated April 15, 2025

On June 29, 2023, in the cases of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) held that the schools’ goals related to student body diversity were insufficiently compelling to justify their consideration of applicant racial status when making admissions decisions and that their use of applicant racial status when making admissions decisions unlawfully relied upon racial stereotypes. Following this decision, medical schools have adapted to a legal framework prohibiting the consideration of applicant race when making admissions decisions or otherwise relying on stereotypes or assumptions about an applicant’s character or viewpoints based on their racial status. 

The Harvard/UNC decision was not a condemnation of diversity or a school’s goals related to the educational benefits associated with exposure to a broad array of perspectives. To the contrary, the decision recognizes such interests as “plainly worthy.” Diverse perspectives and backgrounds in the health professions – spanning classrooms, biomedical research labs, and clinical settings – enriches the educational experiences of all health professions students. Learning and working alongside those with different life experiences or opinions encourages open-mindedness, catalyzes creativity and discovery, and enhances complex problem-solving, prediction, and forecasting – all to the benefit of a growing patient population.  

A workforce or classroom benefiting from a diversity of experiences and backgrounds continues to be a worthwhile goal, but pursuit of that goal must be fair and free from any unlawful discrimination. The AAMC is committed to a culture of excellence in academic medicine where a diversity of perspectives and experiences are valued and respected, and where students, faculty, and staff of all socioeconomic backgrounds, religions, races, ethnicities, and ages, among other attributes, can thrive and best serve patients and communities of all backgrounds. This commitment includes cultivating environments that support access to opportunity, meaningful engagement, quality health care, and improved health outcomes for all communities. 

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