The Dirge of the DEI

October 2024 | Vol. 68, No. 1
Written by Sam Garloff, DO

WGRP reporting live. Allow me to set off a firestorm. I confess I enjoy doing so. Equality does not equate with diversity, diversity does not equate with equality and no two people agree on how to achieve inclusion. Worse, none of these categories assure exceptionalism. What’s a med school to do?

I have read numerous articles about achieving diversity, equality and inclusion in medical school acceptance policies. These certainly are not new social issues, but the focus on medical school acceptance is, as our youthful colleagues say, trending. Some schools have resorted to employing Deans of Diversity. I’m glad I’m not one of their ranks. Being a self-proclaimed humanist, however, I submit this offering to simplify the issue for those charged with solving these problems.

As a start, I will divide applicants into the following categories: Ethnic groups, Racial groups, Sexual orientation/attraction/behavior groups, Medical diagnostic groups and Country of origin. You will notice the absence of political affiliation groups as a humanist, such as myself, would never seek to provoke feelings of unease.

According to the Harvard Institute of Economic Research, there are 650 different Ethnic groups. How did they determine this? Easy! They asked people worldwide how they classified themselves. See? Nothing to it!

Annually, the third Sunday in January is designated World Religion Day. According to the people who monitor this event, there are more than 4,000 religious groups worldwide. The five largest religious groups in alphabetical order are, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Since you’re thinking about it, I will answer your question. The largest religious group identified in the US is Christianity. The largest denomination is Protestant.

The NIH identifies 6 racial categories: American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander and White. The Census Bureau only identifies 5 categories. However, the Census Bureau also lists 8 categories for qualifying diversity. I told you this was easy. The Asian and White categories have no qualifiers. Obviously, both races originated from a single discrete location. For your consideration, shouldn’t the NIH and Census Bureau, being located in the US, cross-talk? (Discuss among yourselves.)

Healthline identifies 47 categories of Sexual Attraction, behavior and orientation. If we continue to use letters to signify identities (LGBTQ+…), we will need to expand the alphabet. Rest assured, if necessary, I will volunteer my services. An incredible selfless act on my part for which I will accept no accolades, even though I will be deserving.

Obviously, we cannot discriminate against applicants with preexisting medical conditions. The ICD-10 delineates more than 69,000 diagnoses. The WHO endorses the ICD-11, but it is not widely accepted yet in the US. Consistent with my past life, I must point out that the DSM 5 describes 70 categories contained in the ICD.

Our last group is the Country of Origin of the applicant. The UN recognizes 193 member nations and 2 “recognized” nations for a total of 195. Other organizations may claim more, but what do they know?

See? EASY! Medical school admissions officers need only input the above number and calculate all permutations and combinations to achieve the correct acceptance ratios to assure diversity, equality and inclusion. Unfortunately, this will necessitate the use of quantum computers. That may prove difficult. Anyone friends with Bill Gates?

Maybe I can short circuit all this. I suspected there are only two criteria for medical school acceptance: intelligence and compassion. One without the other may allow successful matriculation, but both are needed to be a successful physician. The groupings listed above don’t really matter. They never did. You may disagree. Feel free to refute me using my groupings to prove your point.

You should hear my thoughts about the match…