UCSD medical school used sneaky diversity tactic to favor black, Hispanic students: DOJ

A top California medical school violated federal law by using racial discrimination in admission decisions in a sneaky attempt to diversify the student body, federal officials said Monday.The University of California San Diego School of Medicine used a “shadow application process” to favor black and Hispanic applicants, the Department of Justice charged in a scathing letter sent to the University.The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, and the Supreme Court in 2023 outlawed discrimination in college admissions.The elite medical school’s manipulation of applicants’ data was uncovered in a DOJ probe.“San Diego Med’s blatant efforts to prioritize race are illegal, and we will end these practices,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K.Dhillon in a statement announcing the DOJ’s findings.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story “Rather than rely on MCAT scores or GPA, San Diego Med’s shadow application process unlawfully judged applicants for admission based on their race,” she added.According to the DOJ, San Diego Med’s admissions staff used answers to “hardship” application questions — which asked applicants to address how they “overcame” certain disadvantages — to help determine which students were black and Hispanic.Then, those students were given a break on admissions.

As a result, better-qualified white and Asian applicants were denied admission in favor of lower-credentialed black and Hispanic applicants, according to the DOJ.The use of proxies to favor racial groups was outlawed by the U.S.Supreme Court in its 2023 decision against Harvard, which banned race discrimination in higher education.California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedInC...