A measurement perspective on affirmative action in U.S. medical education

Abstract

Background

The U.S. Supreme Court has recently heard another affirmative action case, and similar programs to promote equitable representation in higher education are being debated and enacted around the world. Understanding the empirical and quantitative research conducted over the last 50 years is important in designing effective and fair initiatives related to affirmative action in medical education. Unfortunately, the quantitative measurement research relevant to affirmative action is poorly documented in the scholarly journals that serve medical education.

Methods

This research organizes and documents the measurement literature relevant to enacting affirmative action within the medical school environment, and should be valuable for informing future actions. It provides summaries of those areas where the research evidence is strong and highlights areas where more research evidence is needed. To structure the presentation, 10 topic areas are identified in the form of research questions.

Results

Measurement evidence related to these questions is reviewed and summarized to provide evidence-based answers.

Conclusions

These answers should provide a useful foundation for making important decisions regarding the use of racial diversity initiatives in medical education.

• affirmative action
• admission
• medical education
• selection
• bias

Notes

Contents in this paper were presented as part of an invited address at the 14th Ottawa Conference on the Assessment of Competence in Medicine and the Health Care Professions, Miami, FL, May 15–20, 2010, and at the AAMC Physician Workforce Research Conference, Washington, DC, May 3–4, 2012.