Why Does the Harvard Case on Asian American Discrimination in Admissions Matter for Academic Medicine?

In 2014, Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), led by activist Edward Blum, filed a suit against Harvard University, contending that the Harvard admissions process unfairly discriminates against Asian American applicants. The SFFA further argued that to remedy this outcome, Harvard must remove considerations of race and ethnicity in its holistic admissions approach. In a recent Academic Medicine Perspective, we summarized the arguments made by both the SFFA and Harvard in the case and discussed the implications for medical education admissions. We clarified the difference between claims of anti-Asian American discrimination, known as negative action, and the use of race and ethnicity in admissions. We also reviewed the literature on Asian Americans, showing there is no evidence to suggest anti-Asian American discrimination in medical school admissions and that some evidence from undergraduate admissions suggest that the removal of race and ethnicity would lower admission rates for several minority groups, including Asian Americans. In the time since we wrote our Perspective, two new key developments have emerged. First, on October 1, 2019, Federal District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs issued a ruling finding no evidence that Harvard engages in discriminatory admissions practices against Asian Americans. As expected, the SFFA has indicated that they will file an appeal with the First Circuit Court of Appeals and, if necessary, the United States Supreme Court. Judge ...
Source: Academic Medicine Blog - Category: Universities & Medical Training Authors: Tags: Featured Guest Perspective diversity and inclusion Harvard case holistic admissions Source Type: blogs