One of the top medical schools in the world, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine, has reportedly dropped in the rankings, and some faculty members are pointing to admissions decisions that “prioritize diversity over merit” as a likely cause.
In 2021, Associate Dean for Admissions Jennifer Lucero allegedly became angry when an official with the admissions committee questioned whether one black student, whose grades and test scores were far below the school’s average, was a good fit for the school, the Washington Free Beacon reported on Thursday.
“Did you not know African-American women are dying at a higher rate than everybody else?” Lucero reportedly said before claiming that the applicant’s scores should not matter and the school needed such people.
California’s public schools are not allowed, per state law, to consider a person’s race during the admissions process. Therefore, Lucero’s reaction caused some of the admissions officers to feel uncomfortable, one of them calling it “troubling.”
The outlet continued:
Lucero’s bio on the school’s website says she “participates actively in the recruitment of underrepresented students to the profession of medicine through her work in pathway and outreach programs.”
“As a Chicana physician, she takes a special interest in diversity issues in medicine and disparities in the delivery of obstetric healthcare to women of color,” the site reads.
The school’s website has a “Anti-racism Roadmap” and claims it is committed to fighting “structural racism.”
UCLA required first-year medical students to attend a lecture in March on “racial equity” where a guest speaker had attendees chant “Free Palestine,” according to a report.
DEI world on full display
