Trust, patient well-being and affirmative action in medical school admissions

This article reviews the current legal arguments for and against affirmative action in medical education. It concludes that many of the traditional legal defenses for race-based admissions are imperiled or defunct. The author suggests that the best and probably most viable justification for affirmative action policies is the one that recognizes that racial diversity in the medical profession is important because it provides the physicians with whom minority patients can feel safe and comfortable. Trust is a central component of the doctor-patient relationship and is the prerequisite, in many cases, to the individual physician's ability to practice good medicine. Unfortunately, minorities' historical and current experience with the medical profession and health delivery system frequently breeds suspicion rather than faith. As a result, society and the medical profession have a compelling interest and duty to produce physicians who can inspire trust in patients. In the short-to-medium term, race-conscious admissions policies may be necessary to fulfill this duty.