A new executive order could force medical schools to change their policies on diversity initiatives in student recruiting and retention.
The order, out Wednesday, takes aim at the third-party institutions that give accreditation to universities and either require or promote diversity practices as part of their stamp of approval.
The order calls out the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), co-sponsored by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Medical Association, which is the only organization to accredit medical schools. It also targets the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) which ensures quality standards for residency programs.
According to the order, the accreditation groups either require or promote diversity initiatives. The executive order calls such policies illegal. It also says that accrediting organizations will not receive federal recognition if they engage in unlawful policies.
“The standards for training tomorrow’s doctors should focus solely on providing the highest quality care, and certainly not on requiring unlawful discrimination,” the EO says.
The EO says that accreditation programs should only focus on academic rigor and not outcomes related to diversity. Both medical accreditation groups cited in the order plan to work with the administration to understand their policies.
“In agreement with the Executive Order, the LCME shares the Administration’s goal that medical education programs and their graduates be of the highest caliber,” the group wrote in an email to Fierce Healthcare. “In pursuit of this shared goal, the LCME will work with the Administration to provide requested information and to provide evidence of our ongoing commitment to outcomes-based evaluations of medical education program quality with the goal of producing outstanding physicians.”
The ACGME responded similarly, saying it was taking the EO “very seriously” and is working to understand its implications.
“Our Mission is to improve health care and population health by assessing and enhancing the quality of resident and fellow physicians' education through advancements in accreditation and education, and we strive to prepare physicians to provide patients with the highest quality care possible through the education they receive,” the ACGME wrote in an email.
Accreditation of higher education institutions allows them to accept federal financial aid, and, for medical schools, attending an accredited institution is a requirement for state licensure.
Beyond aiming for the accrediting bodies, the EO says the administration could conduct investigations into schools that follow the policies.
The EO says the U.S. attorney general, the secretary of education and the secretary of health and human services will “investigate and take appropriate action to terminate unlawful discrimination by American medical schools or graduate medical education entities.”
The EO follows in the vein of President Donald Trump’s actions against diversity, equity and inclusion programs in the federal government and organizations that receive government funding.
Trump also seeks to increase competition among the accrediting organizations by recognizing new accrediting organizations, especially those that promote intellectual diversity and academic freedom, the EO says.