Commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion in health care are under attack, including in Iowa.
Last month, Rep. Greg Murphy (R-North Carolina) introduced the Anti-Discrimination, Equitable Curriculum, and Advancing Truth in Education (EDUCATE) Act to the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would force U.S. medical schools to “force certain beliefs on students or faculty, discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity, or establish a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) office.” They are calling for federal funding to be rescinded.
Murphy, the bill's author and a physician, said on his website that diversity is important in medicine, but that the pursuit of diversity requires medical students and professionals to “encourage individuals of all races, genders, and ethnicities to There are inherent advantages and disadvantages based on skin color and country of origin.
Murphy said on shows such as “The Ben Shapiro Show” that he was surprised by the discriminatory admissions process at UCLA's medical school, where there were “literally very few white men.” He emphasizes the importance of educating students to provide the best possible care to each individual patient in front of them.
Of course, patients should receive the best possible treatment. Unfortunately, however, Murphy's argument dramatically oversimplifies the role doctors play in society, perhaps to fit the “anti-woke” narrative.
Iowa City is home to the University of Iowa Carver School of Medicine, one of Iowa's two medical schools. As a current medical student there myself, and as a white male who has been “discriminated against” as Murphy claims, I can firmly attest that DEI curriculum is essential to a comprehensive medical education.
Studying biomedicine is definitely a difficult endeavor that requires discipline, patience, and hard work. But the most intellectually demanding part of my clinical education is how to assess and deal with daily, one-off encounters with people I don't know at all, often with backgrounds quite different from mine. It was to learn.
Physicians must interpret a patient's unique story into a coherent medical story and develop an appropriate treatment plan within the context of the patient's lifestyle and environment, while building a trusting interpersonal relationship with the patient.
Patient care is much more complex than “just providing a standard of care.” To even suggest that much is frankly ridiculous.
At the core of the DEI effort is an exploration of the openness of humanity, which in addition to providing a foundation for addressing the “soft skills” of the patient encounter, encourages recognition of opportunities for social improvement. Teach students. Physicians also advocate for systemic change within their scope of practice.
Recognizing and resolving issues that negatively impact specific populations is an additional path to improving overall health. There are many past and present examples of racial health disparities, but as this bill primarily suggests, systemic health problems are by no means limited to race. Veterans, immigrants, and low-income residents are all examples of marginalized populations who are susceptible to certain health conditions.
Removing DEI initiatives from medical education would create physicians who are less qualified to advocate for all of these groups and more.
DEI initiatives are not rampant elitist brainwashing programs. They offer a caring approach to understanding our fellow humans so that we can best serve their needs according to their unique backgrounds.
Our patients deserve the most competent, humane, and academically superior physicians. DEI is essential to medical education.
