Inside Higher Ed: House Hearing Puts Med Schools in DEI Hot Seat

Republicans aren’t letting up on their scrutiny of medical schools as part of their broader crusade against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

At a hearing titled “Training Activists, Not Physicians: The Impact of DEI on Medical Schools” on Tuesday, Republican members of the House Committee on Education and Workforce grilled administrators from the University of California, Los Angeles, and UC San Francisco, as well as the University of Illinois, about whether their medical schools use DEI-focused policies to inform admissions, hiring, curricula and patient care.

“Today’s hearing is about accountability,” said Rep. Tim Walberg, a Michigan Republican and chair of the committee, as he laid out his questions for the medical schools: “Why are you prioritizing politics over medical education? Why are you perpetuating antisemitism and discrimination? Why are you turning doctors into activists?”

In response to those and a barrage of other accusations and questions—including several about admissions and treatment of transgender patients—from Republican committee members, all three of the medical school administrators testified that their programs do not discriminate against anyone, in compliance with state and federal laws, and their chief focus is preparing future physicians to care for a diverse patient population.

“We prepare our medical students to deliver high-quality, evidence-based care grounded in science, clinical judgment and professionalism. Effective medical care requires understanding how a patient’s background and circumstances can affect health,” Steven M. Dubinett, dean of the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, told the committee. “Teaching medical students how a patient’s life circumstances can affect health is consistent with accreditation standards and is a necessary part of medical education.”

Meanwhile, Democrats on the committee characterized the hearing as a distraction from new Republican-backed policies—such as the $200,000 cap on federal student loans for medical students—that will make it harder to address the national physician shortage and improve patient health outcomes. “This hearing is a monumental waste of this committee’s time,” said Rep. Adelita Grijalva, an Arizona Democrat, who accused Republicans of “playing politics with DEI rhetoric.”