News/Commentary

New England Journal of Medicine blasted over paper calling for racial segregation of students

May 2, 2023 | | Print Article

The “woke” mind virus has infected every institution in the land with even one of the most prestigious medical journals now promoting a paper by a gaggle of leftist academics at a San Francisco-based medical school advocating for separating students by race, a proposal that was described as “morally abhorrent” by one prominent critic.

On April 27, The New England Journal of Medicine published an article by academics, doctors, and students from the University of California, San Francisco that called for “new approaches” to teaching, including the segregating of learners into “racial affinity group caucuses” (RAGCs) to shield students of color from the “legacies of colonialism and racism” in medical education that “has historically centered White learners and continues to perpetuate structural racism.”

“The approach tailors areas of focus to each identity group to supplement and differentiate the education received in racially integrated spaces, enabling participants to progress more effectively through the next stages of learning,” the authors state.

“Founded on legacies of colonialism and racism, medical education has historically centered White learners and continues to perpetuate structural racism.4 Pedagogical approaches often center White learners and ignore the differential impact of content on BIPOC learners (Black, Indigenous, or people of color) with personal experiences of racism that are nuanced and have been informed by interactions and observations over their lifetimes,” the authors state. “Immersion in the existing medical education system can therefore be retraumatizing, resulting in imposter syndrome, heightened anxiety, and a reduced sense of belonging. Especially as we seek to recruit more medical students who are BIPOC, we need to recognize this harm and encourage pedagogical approaches that support the needs of BIPOC learners.”

“RAGCs for Black learners provide a setting that centers Black experiences as the norm and celebrates diverse Black perspectives. This environment buffers participants from (often daily) experiences of micro- and macroaggressions, structural inequities, and isolating siloes in predominantly White institutions,” the paper claims. “RAGCs also allow Black learners to explore their experience of racism and contextualize their understanding of antiracism without the burden of educating or taking care of non-Black colleagues, and without facing the otherwise-common denial, gaslighting (undermining another person by causing them to doubt their own perceptions and experience), and White fragility. RAGCs are conducive to in-depth exploration of internalized racism, and they allow for individual and collective expression of everything from joy to rage without fear of repercussion.”

The paper received a cool reception from one expert, Dr Stanley Goldfarb who heads up the organization Do No Harm which describes its mission statement as being to “protect healthcare from a radical, divisive, and discriminatory ideology. We believe in making healthcare better for all – not undermining it in pursuit of a political agenda.”

Dr. Goldfarb was so shocked by the NEJM’s publication of the paper that he launched a petition calling for the esteemed journal to “apologize for running such an illiberal and extremist article.”

“It is difficult to understand how such offensive language made it past the gatekeepers of this prestigious institution,” he wrote. “In these same pages, authors and editors have been covering the unprecedented exodus of physicians and other staff leaving the clinical profession due to demoralization, burnout, and toxic work environments.”

“Have you considered the possibility that divisive and highly politicized pieces such as this might be worsening this crisis, in addition to moving medical education toward segregation?” Goldfarb asked, adding that such a “morally abhorrent” idea would likely face federal challenges.

Twitter users also reacted to the NEJM’s endorsement of what can accurately be described as institutionalized racism.

“Addressing racism in medicine requires approaches at the systemic, interpersonal, and individual levels. RAGCs are designed to support learning, growth, and reflection in a manner that centers BIPOC learners while providing differentiation for all learners. We suggest using longitudinal RAGCs throughout medical school and in residency programs as an opportunity for learners to contextualize antiracism curricula, bring greater depth and meaning to such curricula’s lessons, build supportive communities, and expand knowledge and skill in antiracist doctoring. RAGCs are a promising approach to equipping physicians to help eliminate health inequities,” the authors of the paper concluded.

 

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Chris Donaldson
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