DEI or DIE?: Medical Schools Are Infected With Wokeism, Putting Patients at Risk

Pedestrians walk towards the Harvard Medical School in Boston on Aug. 18, 2022. Charles Krupa/AP Photo

Commentary

America’s medical schools are sick with a political disease that’s putting left-wing activism over patient care. A heavy dose of reality is the only way to get them back on track.

Recent reports and congressional hearings have shed light on the dark and discriminatory nature of “diversity, equity, and inclusion” regimes on college campuses. The capture of American institutions by DEI and destructive ideologies such as critical race theory is on full display, and the consequences of Marxist groupthink at undergraduate institutions have been extensively exposed.

Law schools—institutions where our Constitution should perhaps be the most revered—have also been unmasked as centers of censorship and indoctrination, leaving the future arbiters of our laws unable to think critically and objectively. When law students undergo ideological reeducation, principles of American jurisprudence are undermined, leading to a workforce that prioritizes woke activism over legal integrity and feelings over facts.

In like fashion, when medical students are indoctrinated with DEI—instead of focusing on unarguable biology, essential surgical practice, and clinical care—lives can be destroyed in a much more literal sense.

At top-ranked Harvard Medical School, there are a number of course offerings covering topics from “diversity of sexual orientation” to straight-up activist training.

Alex Keuroghlian—a clinical psychiatrist and an instructor at Harvard Medical School who leads courses on “Sex- and Gender-Informed Medicine” and “Caring for Patients with Diverse Sexual Orientations, Gender Identities, and Sex Development”—advocates for the normalization, affirmation, and validation of transgenderism and “gender-affirming” medical practices.

Jack Turban/X

His teachings peddle the false narrative that puberty blockers reduce the risk of suicide, a claim that has been debunked by available evidence.

The abundance of gender-focused courses at Harvard underscores the “translation of research to clinical practice” and stresses how social determinants manifest physiologically. In other words, feed the psychological illnesses of patients experiencing gender dysphoria, then coax them onto the operating table.

Keuroghlian’s courses in what amounts to Child Mutilation 101 contradict fundamental principles of medical ethics on every level and violate the Hippocratic oath’s mandate to do no harm. The endorsement of irreversible and unnecessary surgeries and medications suggests a profit-driven motive reminiscent of addictive pill-pushing scandals.

It’s clear that doctors beholden to DEI prioritize financial gain and job security over patient well-being.

Harvard Medical School also offers several courses in activism, emphasizing why physicians and clinicians should be more vocal “advocates for social change.” One such course, “Physician as Advocate,” promises to equip health care professionals with “tools for advocacy and political engagement.”

It’s not hard to guess what type of political engagement, as it’s clarified that the class will explore campaigns against the COVID-19 vaccine and for providing free health care to illegal immigrants with the goal of studying “human rights injustices” to inspire “impactful policy changes.”

Despite what DEI ideologues might preach, physicians aren’t—or shouldn’t be—activists. Their education and decisions should be based solely on the facts in front of them, not the opportunity to adhere to political theater or fulfill an arbitrary quota.

There are distinct career paths and other overpriced degrees focused on policymaking for those interested.

Institutionwide, Harvard has become emblematic of the pervasive influence of DEI and wokeism, with other Ivy League universities following suit. But this dangerous trend is mirrored in a range of medical institutions.

At George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences there are numerous courses available on topics such as “disrupting racism” and “advancing health through an intersectional health equity lens.” One course explicitly calls on “disrupters” to challenge our “racist” cultures, policies, and practices.

Reminder: This is a medical school, not the Black Lives Matter homepage.

When the objectives of medical education involve combating bias, OK’ing the mutilation of children, and affirming men who think they’re pregnant, it prompts reflection and stresses the need for corrective action.

While DEI may capture the hearts and minds of gender studies and education majors, its extension into medical practice can have detrimental effects.

When virtue-signaling eclipses medical care, patients suffer. If a man pretending to be a woman comes to the hospital with a stomach ache, doctors should be able to rule out ovarian cancer and menstrual cramps, as these can be life-threatening misdiagnoses.

The encroachment of DEI into medical education raises serious concerns about the future of American health care. It diverts doctors’ focus from essential medical skills to ideological agendas, potentially leading to catastrophic consequences for individuals seeking medical assistance.

History teaches us that this infection starts in our educational institutions under the guise of fighting inequality and systemic injustices.

America’s medical schools are sick. The cure to resist the infectious spread of plagues like DEI? Truth.

Reprinted by permission from The Daily Signal, a publication of The Heritage Foundation.

Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.