Byker
2015-01-09 01:10:20 UTC
By all means, roll the dice and go to a black or Hispanic doctor. Maybe
you'll get a competent doctor. Maybe you'll get a failed butcher's
apprentice...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acceptance rates at US medical schools in 2014 reveal ongoing discrimination
against Asian-Americans and whites
Mark J. Perry
January 4, 2015
The table above (http://tinyurl.com/qadevfp) of US medical school acceptance
rates is a revised and updated version of one I’ve posted several times
before, here’s a link to the most recent CD post on this topic from July
2014. The series of posts on medical school acceptance rates by race/ethnic
groups for various MCAT scores and GPAs has generated a lot of interest and
comments in the past, so I’m posting on the topic again with new data for
the 2014-2015 academic year that just recently became available from the
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Specifically, the table
above displays: a) acceptance rates to US medical schools for Asians,
whites, Hispanics and blacks with various combinations of MCAT scores and
GPAs for the academic years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 (aggregated for the two
years), and b) average MCAT scores and average GPAs by race/ethnic group for
matriculants to US medical schools in the fall of 2014.
For 2014, the average GPA of all students applying to medical schools was
3.55 and the average MCAT score was 28.6 (see AAMC data, Table 19). The
highlighted dark blue column in the middle of the table above displays the
acceptance rates to US medical schools for applicants from four
racial/ethnic groups for applicants with: a) GPAs that fall in the 3.40 to
3.59 range that includes the average GPA of 3.55 and b) MCAT scores in the
range between 27 to 29 that includes the average score of 28.6. Acceptance
rates for students with slightly higher and slightly lower than average GPAs
and test scores are displayed in the other columns. In other words, the
table above displays acceptance rates by race/ethnicity for students
applying to US medical schools with average academic credentials, and just
slightly above and slightly below average academic credentials.
Here are some observations based on the new AAMC data:
For those applicants to US medical schools last year with average GPAs (3.40
to 3.59) and average MCAT scores (27 to 29), black applicants were 4 times
more likely to be admitted to medical school than Asians in that applicant
pool (81.0% vs. 20.4%), and 2.7 times more likely than white applicants
(81.1% vs. 30.6%). Likewise, Hispanic applicants to medical school with
average GPAs and MCAT scores were twice as likely as whites in that
applicant pool to be admitted to medical school (61.7% vs. 30.6%), and three
times more likely than Asians (61.7% vs. 20.4%). Overall, black (81%) and
Hispanic (64.1%) applicants with average GPAs and average MCAT scores were
accepted to US medical schools in 2014 at rates (81.1% and 64.1%
respectively) much higher than the 32.3% average acceptance rate for all
students in that applicant pool.
For students applying to medical school with slightly below average GPAs of
3.20 to 3.39 and slightly below average MCAT scores of 24 to 26 (first data
column in the table, shaded light blue), black applicants were 9 times more
likely to be admitted to medical school than Asians (58.7% vs. 6.5%), and
7.2 times more likely than whites (58.7% vs. 8.2%). Compared to the average
acceptance rate of 18.1% for all applicants with that combination of GPA and
MCAT score, black and Hispanic applicants were much more likely to be
accepted at rates of 58.7% and 30.9%, and white and Asian applicants were
much less likely to be accepted to US medical schools at rates of only 8.2%
and 6.5%.
We find the same pattern of acceptance rates by ethnic/racial groups for
applicants with slightly above average academic credentials. For example,
for applicants with MCAT scores of 30 to 32 (slightly above average) and
GPAs between 3.40 to 3.59 (average) in the eighth data column (shaded light
blue), the acceptance rates for blacks (88.4%) and Hispanics (78.8%) were
much higher than the acceptance rate for whites (48.9%) and Asians (41.3%)
with those same academic credentials.
For all matriculants to US medical schools in the fall of 2014, the average
MCAT score for Asians (32.8) and whites (31.7) were above the average MCAT
score of 31.4 for all matriculants, while the average MCAT score for
Hispanics (28.1) and blacks (27.3) had average MCAT scores below the overall
average (see second to last column in table). Likewise, the average GPAs for
Asian (3.73) and white (3.72) matriculants were above the overall 3.69 GPA
average, while the average GPAs for Hispanic (3.57) and black (3.46)
matriculants were below the overall average (see last column in table).
Bottom Line: Like in my previous posts on this topic, I’m concluding again
that 2014-2015 medical school acceptance rates suggest that medical schools
must have “affirmative discrimination” and “racial profiling” admission
policies that favor black and Hispanic applicants over equally qualified
Asian and white students. Even if factors other than GPA and MCAT scores
(which are probably the two most important ones) are considered for
admission to medical school, wouldn’t it still be very hard to conclude that
admissions policies to medical schools are completely “race-neutral” and
completely free of any “racial profiling” practices that favor blacks and
Hispanics over Asians and whites?
Here’s why the issue is important: In some states like California,
Washington, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, and Michigan, racial
preferences in college admissions to public universities are currently
prohibited by state law. For example, Proposal 2 in Michigan, which was
passed into Michigan Constitutional law by a 58% margin of voters in 2006,
states:
The University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State
University, and any other public college or university, community college,
or school district shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential
treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color,
ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public
education, or public contracting.
The AAMC doesn’t provide acceptance data by individual medical school, so we
can’t conclude that any of the four medical schools at public universities
in Michigan (University of Michigan, Michigan State, Wayne State and Oakland
University) are practicing illegal “affirmative discrimination” or “racial
profiling” in admissions, but it’s clear that Michigan state law, and the
laws in several other states, expressly prohibit that practice. Based on
national data, is there any conclusion other than the obvious one – that US
medical schools are granting special preferences for admissions on the basis
of race for certain preferred minority groups (blacks and Hispanics) over
other non-preferred minority groups (Asians) and whites? When a black
applicant with average academic credentials is four times more likely to be
admitted to a US medical school than an equally qualified Asian applicant,
what other conclusion is there?
Q: When/why/how did it become so acceptable to blatantly, legally (in most
cases) and routinely discriminate against academically qualified
Asian-Americans and whites for admission to selective colleges and medical
schools by blatantly and routinely discriminating in favor of less
academically qualified blacks and Hispanics? Will there ever come a time
when it becomes illegal to engage in such blatant racial/ethnic
discrimination, and base admission to selective colleges and medical schools
on a color-blind, race-neutral policy?
http://tinyurl.com/pujc6hp
---
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you'll get a competent doctor. Maybe you'll get a failed butcher's
apprentice...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acceptance rates at US medical schools in 2014 reveal ongoing discrimination
against Asian-Americans and whites
Mark J. Perry
January 4, 2015
The table above (http://tinyurl.com/qadevfp) of US medical school acceptance
rates is a revised and updated version of one I’ve posted several times
before, here’s a link to the most recent CD post on this topic from July
2014. The series of posts on medical school acceptance rates by race/ethnic
groups for various MCAT scores and GPAs has generated a lot of interest and
comments in the past, so I’m posting on the topic again with new data for
the 2014-2015 academic year that just recently became available from the
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Specifically, the table
above displays: a) acceptance rates to US medical schools for Asians,
whites, Hispanics and blacks with various combinations of MCAT scores and
GPAs for the academic years 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 (aggregated for the two
years), and b) average MCAT scores and average GPAs by race/ethnic group for
matriculants to US medical schools in the fall of 2014.
For 2014, the average GPA of all students applying to medical schools was
3.55 and the average MCAT score was 28.6 (see AAMC data, Table 19). The
highlighted dark blue column in the middle of the table above displays the
acceptance rates to US medical schools for applicants from four
racial/ethnic groups for applicants with: a) GPAs that fall in the 3.40 to
3.59 range that includes the average GPA of 3.55 and b) MCAT scores in the
range between 27 to 29 that includes the average score of 28.6. Acceptance
rates for students with slightly higher and slightly lower than average GPAs
and test scores are displayed in the other columns. In other words, the
table above displays acceptance rates by race/ethnicity for students
applying to US medical schools with average academic credentials, and just
slightly above and slightly below average academic credentials.
Here are some observations based on the new AAMC data:
For those applicants to US medical schools last year with average GPAs (3.40
to 3.59) and average MCAT scores (27 to 29), black applicants were 4 times
more likely to be admitted to medical school than Asians in that applicant
pool (81.0% vs. 20.4%), and 2.7 times more likely than white applicants
(81.1% vs. 30.6%). Likewise, Hispanic applicants to medical school with
average GPAs and MCAT scores were twice as likely as whites in that
applicant pool to be admitted to medical school (61.7% vs. 30.6%), and three
times more likely than Asians (61.7% vs. 20.4%). Overall, black (81%) and
Hispanic (64.1%) applicants with average GPAs and average MCAT scores were
accepted to US medical schools in 2014 at rates (81.1% and 64.1%
respectively) much higher than the 32.3% average acceptance rate for all
students in that applicant pool.
For students applying to medical school with slightly below average GPAs of
3.20 to 3.39 and slightly below average MCAT scores of 24 to 26 (first data
column in the table, shaded light blue), black applicants were 9 times more
likely to be admitted to medical school than Asians (58.7% vs. 6.5%), and
7.2 times more likely than whites (58.7% vs. 8.2%). Compared to the average
acceptance rate of 18.1% for all applicants with that combination of GPA and
MCAT score, black and Hispanic applicants were much more likely to be
accepted at rates of 58.7% and 30.9%, and white and Asian applicants were
much less likely to be accepted to US medical schools at rates of only 8.2%
and 6.5%.
We find the same pattern of acceptance rates by ethnic/racial groups for
applicants with slightly above average academic credentials. For example,
for applicants with MCAT scores of 30 to 32 (slightly above average) and
GPAs between 3.40 to 3.59 (average) in the eighth data column (shaded light
blue), the acceptance rates for blacks (88.4%) and Hispanics (78.8%) were
much higher than the acceptance rate for whites (48.9%) and Asians (41.3%)
with those same academic credentials.
For all matriculants to US medical schools in the fall of 2014, the average
MCAT score for Asians (32.8) and whites (31.7) were above the average MCAT
score of 31.4 for all matriculants, while the average MCAT score for
Hispanics (28.1) and blacks (27.3) had average MCAT scores below the overall
average (see second to last column in table). Likewise, the average GPAs for
Asian (3.73) and white (3.72) matriculants were above the overall 3.69 GPA
average, while the average GPAs for Hispanic (3.57) and black (3.46)
matriculants were below the overall average (see last column in table).
Bottom Line: Like in my previous posts on this topic, I’m concluding again
that 2014-2015 medical school acceptance rates suggest that medical schools
must have “affirmative discrimination” and “racial profiling” admission
policies that favor black and Hispanic applicants over equally qualified
Asian and white students. Even if factors other than GPA and MCAT scores
(which are probably the two most important ones) are considered for
admission to medical school, wouldn’t it still be very hard to conclude that
admissions policies to medical schools are completely “race-neutral” and
completely free of any “racial profiling” practices that favor blacks and
Hispanics over Asians and whites?
Here’s why the issue is important: In some states like California,
Washington, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, and Michigan, racial
preferences in college admissions to public universities are currently
prohibited by state law. For example, Proposal 2 in Michigan, which was
passed into Michigan Constitutional law by a 58% margin of voters in 2006,
states:
The University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State
University, and any other public college or university, community college,
or school district shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential
treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color,
ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public
education, or public contracting.
The AAMC doesn’t provide acceptance data by individual medical school, so we
can’t conclude that any of the four medical schools at public universities
in Michigan (University of Michigan, Michigan State, Wayne State and Oakland
University) are practicing illegal “affirmative discrimination” or “racial
profiling” in admissions, but it’s clear that Michigan state law, and the
laws in several other states, expressly prohibit that practice. Based on
national data, is there any conclusion other than the obvious one – that US
medical schools are granting special preferences for admissions on the basis
of race for certain preferred minority groups (blacks and Hispanics) over
other non-preferred minority groups (Asians) and whites? When a black
applicant with average academic credentials is four times more likely to be
admitted to a US medical school than an equally qualified Asian applicant,
what other conclusion is there?
Q: When/why/how did it become so acceptable to blatantly, legally (in most
cases) and routinely discriminate against academically qualified
Asian-Americans and whites for admission to selective colleges and medical
schools by blatantly and routinely discriminating in favor of less
academically qualified blacks and Hispanics? Will there ever come a time
when it becomes illegal to engage in such blatant racial/ethnic
discrimination, and base admission to selective colleges and medical schools
on a color-blind, race-neutral policy?
http://tinyurl.com/pujc6hp
---
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