News Releases |
ACOG Statement on Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling
Washington, D.C. – The following is a statement from Molly Meegan, JD, general counsel and chief legal officer of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG):
“Today’s Supreme Court decision is a direct blow to people of color across the United States, who are already at risk of poor health outcomes. We know that racial diversity in health care literally saves lives: research and experience have shown time and time again that disparities in health outcomes decrease when patients are treated by health care professionals who have learned and worked alongside colleagues of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The best way to ensure diversity in the medical workforce is through holistic considerations of medical school candidates that take into account race, ethnicity, and the lived experiences that each candidate could bring to their career as a physician because of their background. Comprehensive consideration of each medical student candidate as an individual can only benefit the communities for which they will ultimately provide care.
“More diversity in health care means better-educated physicians; higher quality of care; and healthier people, families, and communities everywhere. Less diversity in health care can mean physicians who may be less equipped to connect with and treat the diverse patient populations they serve and patients with worse health outcomes, both of which cause entire communities to suffer.”