Report concludes that UF College of Medicine indoctrinates students in social justice activism

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Do No Harm, a group that works to “protect healthcare from a radical, divisive, and discriminatory ideology,” has released a report concluding that the University of Florida College of Medicine (UFCOM) is “indoctrinating its medical school graduates in divisive philosophies and other forms of social justice activism.”

The report provides evidence from UFCOM’s own website that the medical school incorporates CRT, “equity,” and “anti-racism” into its official academic practices. According to the report, “Anti-racism in the field of medicine supports the idea that medical care and treatment should be prioritized on the basis of race, while deprioritizing care for others.”

Medical Admissions site featured Black Lives Matter protest

The report notes that the Medical Admissions office at UFCOM makes its first impression on visitors to its website by displaying a photograph of medical students kneeling during a Black Lives Matter protest, holding a sign that reads #WhiteCoatsForBlackLives.

The statement on the website read, “BLACK LIVES MATTER! The UF College of Medicine Office of Admissions unequivocally condemns racism, injustice, and prejudice in all forms. We acknowledge the existence and persistence of systemic oppression and racism that endanger the lives of people of color. We strive for an admissions culture that is reflective, informed and inclusive, dedicated to building a diverse community of future physicians who share a commitment to excellence and equity in healthcare.”

The report notes that this image appeared on the website on October 26, 2022; the image and statement have since been removed, but the October 22 version can be viewed at the Wayback Machine site.

The website also linked to a June 2020 article, Resources for Combating Systemic Racism. In October, that page included this statement, “For those who want to learn more about systemic racism, self-education is key. Please do not further burden your Black friends and colleagues by asking them to expend the energy necessary to educate you. Rather, do the work and use existing resources to learn more on your own.” The article does not appear to be on the UFCOM website today, but the Wayback Machine site shows the previous version.

Diversity Statement emphasizes recruitment of underrepresented groups and “cultural humility”

UFCOM’s Diversity Statement indicates that race and ethnicity will be considered in admissions to the program: “The College of Medicine will continually strive to promote, support and actively enhance the recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups to its student body, residency training programs, faculty and staff positions, in conjunction with the education in cultural humility of all trainees and healthcare providers.”

Courses include “distributive justice” and “advancing health equity”

The report lists the learning objectives of required courses, including the principles of health equity, distributive justice, and ethics in healthcare law and policy. Another part of the curriculum focuses on “advancing health equity” with topics such as “Teach and practice medicine with cultural humility,” “Describe how social determinants of health influence patient health and health disparities,” and “Examine bias in healthcare delivery and research.” The page referenced by the report for this information is no longer available on UFCOM’s website.

Code of Ethics requires “speaking out against social injustice”

UFCOM’s Code of Ethics includes standard elements like “Do no harm to our patients” but also includes three consecutive statements advising students to acknowledge “anti-racist” principles:

• Foster a just and inclusive community by speaking out against social injustice, racism, prejudice, and inequity.
• Strive to eliminate social barriers to health, health disparities, and inequality within our profession.
• Acknowledge and minimize our implicit and explicit biases as we relate to others.

UFCOM’s Diversity Statement requires leadership to publicly embrace diversity, inclusion, and health equity

UFCOM’s Diversity Statement instructs that “Senior leadership must publicly embrace, through broad, repetitive and effective communication, a definitive and unequivocal position that diversity, inclusion, and health equity is synonymous with excellence. The diversity, inclusion and health equity strategy must be communicated as a top down initiative in terms of defining this imperative for excellence.”

The University’s Anti-Racism efforts

The University of Florida’s website has a section dedicated to Anti-Racism. The Campus Efforts page, last updated in May 2021, has a long list of plans for each department. Under Medicine, it lists forming a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Task Force to assess race and racism in the climate and curriculum of UFCOM and a Bias in Assessment Task Force to evaluate concerns of racial bias in evaluation of med students. It also lists Implicit Bias/microaggression training, a Collaboration on Racial Justice fund grant, a “survey of incoming 1st year on social equity and sense of belonging,” and various speakers and events.

University budgets over $2 million to three DEI-related programs

An appendix to the report lists three programs at the university that were allocated over $2 million in the 2020-21 budget: the Chief Diversity Office, Target of Opportunity (increasing faculty diversity by hiring spouses/partners of current faculty members), and Racial Justice Research Fund (support for research “that will inform understanding of the Black experience, racial justice, diversity, equity and inclusion on campus and beyond).

Conclusion: “UF needs to return to instilling the art of healing into its graduates”

The report concludes, “The University of Florida College of Medicine focuses on instilling philosophies that advocate for promoting anti-racism, health equity, and the incorrect belief that the healthcare industry is systemically racist and is plagued by implicit bias… Concentrating on identity and racial politics instead of academics and the science of healthcare [is] a major problem. UFCOM needs to return to instilling the art of healing into its graduates, rather than seeking to reshape society and ‘transform’ the healthcare industry with discriminatory activism.” 

UFCOM’s response

In a statement sent to Alachua Chronicle, UFCOM wrote, “The University of Florida College of Medicine embraces inclusive excellence where all students, residents, faculty and staff can interact in an environment that includes people from all races, ethnicities, gender identities, religious affiliations, ages, disabilities and socioeconomic backgrounds. We have a holistic admissions process that welcomes students from all backgrounds, including those from underrepresented backgrounds. In accordance with state law, our admissions policy does not favor or give priority to any group. Our curriculum includes social determinants of health, which include access to healthy food, education, income, social support, physical environments and employment ― all of these social determinants influence our patients’ health.”

Read the full report here.