The Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY), the consortium of the 17 medical schools of New York State, is profoundly concerned that the United State Supreme Court decisions in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina will diminish opportunities for talented students pursuing careers in medicine and science. These decisions reject a longstanding precedent that recognized the compelling interest of ensuring diversity in higher education and may undermine recent advances to address inequities in medical education and research.
In 2022, AMSNY joined the Association of American Medical Colleges and 44 other groups in filing an amicus curiae brief in these cases. We urged the Court to continue allowing schools to include race and ethnicity as a limited consideration when reviewing medical school applicants. AMSNY is dedicated to ensuring that the physician and scientific workforce is broadly representative of our communities by providing opportunities for people from groups underrepresented in medicine and science to attend and thrive in medical and graduate school.
Through the AMSNY Diversity in Medicine Program and Diversity in Medicine Scholarship, and decades of intentional work by our medical schools, New York State has become a leader in the effort to create a healthcare workforce that more closely matches the racial and ethnic backgrounds of the people it serves. In 2020, New York’s medical schools achieved an important milestone, with more than 20% of matriculating medical students identifying with groups underrepresented in medicine. Still, more work needs to be done, as nearly one-third of New Yorkers are Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino. As numerous studies make clear, health outcomes improve markedly when there is racial/ethnic and cultural concordance between patient and provider.
While the Supreme Court’s decision will necessitate reevaluation of admissions processes, AMSNY remains strongly committed to providing educational opportunities and support for those underrepresented in medicine and science. We will work in partnership with our member institutions to ensure that our physicians and scientists reflect the communities they serve.
