Trump Administration Probes Use of Race in Admissions at Three U.S. Medical Schools
The Trump administration has opened new civil-rights investigations into how race is used in admissions at the medical schools of Stanford University, Ohio State University, and the University of California, San Diego, sending letters this week demanding seven years of data on admitted classes. The letters warn that federal funding could be withheld if the institutions do not comply, signaling an escalation of the administration’s broader campaign against race-conscious admissions in higher education after earlier actions targeting undergraduate programs. The probes focus specifically on medical education, a sector already under intense scrutiny over diversity efforts and persistent racial disparities in the physician pipeline and patient care. Civil-rights and higher-education advocates online are already debating whether this is neutral enforcement of anti-discrimination law or a political move aimed at dismantling DEI initiatives in professional schools.
📌 Key Facts
- The Trump administration sent formal letters this week to the medical schools at Stanford, Ohio State, and UC San Diego demanding seven years of admissions data.
- The investigations target how race is used in medical-school admissions and threaten potential loss of federal funding for noncompliance.
- These actions expand earlier Trump-era scrutiny of race-conscious admissions in higher education into the specific realm of medical training.
📊 Relevant Data
As of 2025, Black people make up about 5% of physicians in the United States, while they represent approximately 13% of the U.S. population.
As of 2025, Hispanic people make up about 7% of physicians in the United States, while they represent approximately 20% of the U.S. population.
In the 2025-2026 academic year, Black or African American students comprised 8.4% of U.S. medical school matriculants, while they represent approximately 13% of the U.S. population.
2025 Fall Applicant, Matriculant, and Enrollment Data Tables — AAMC
In 2023-2024, the mean MCAT score for Black or African American applicants to U.S. MD-granting medical schools was 497.5, compared to 507.8 for White applicants and 509.1 for Asian applicants, with an overall mean of 506.3.
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