Health Workforce Diversity Initiative

While there has been some limited progress over the past several decades to create a workforce more reflective of the U.S. population’s diversity, recent actions threaten that progress. This study assesses the impact of the 2023 Supreme Court affirmative action decision and state and federal anti-DEI actions on the diversity of applicants and matriculants in health professions education programs, specifically in medicine (allopathic and osteopathic), dental, and physician assistant education programs. 

The project’s short-term goal is to provide systematic data to inform educators, policymakers, and the public about the diversity of students entering health professions education programs and the possible impact of school, state, and federal policies on diversity. Characterizing these trends will allow policymakers within the public and private spheres to make better decisions about investments in health professions education in light of the 2023 Supreme Court decision on the use of race in admissions.

The longer-term objective is to support efforts to educate a health workforce that reflects the nation’s diversity. This project has taken on additional urgency since the U.S. Department of Education announced plans to eliminate routine national data collection. Universities and state-level policymakers will need data from professional organizations to inform resource allocation and policy development.

This project is funded by the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation and California Healthcare Foundation.