ASCP Reaffirms its Support for DEI Initiatives

ASCP has reaffirmed its support for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. ASCP’s initiative came in response to legislation, recently introduced in Congress by Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) and Representative Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC), prohibiting medical schools from receiving Federal funding, including participation in Federal student loan programs, if they engage in any DEI activities and/or provide education on structural or institutional racism. Simply establishing or maintaining a DEI office may be sufficient to bar the medical school from providing federal student loans to their students.

In a statement, ASCP wrote, “As a medical specialty society, ASCP is dedicated to the proposition that everyone should be treated with respect and fairness. Equality and equity—for all—are bedrock principles that we, as Americans, must embrace and strive for without exception.” ASCP is opposing the legislation, noting that “DEI programs in medical schools help address the underrepresentation of certain groups in the field of medicine and lift health outcomes among underserved and marginalized populations.” Read ASCP’s statement here.

In releasing this statement, ASCP is joining with a host of other medical societies who have similarly reaffirmed their support for DEI and/or expressed opposition to Senator Kennedy and Representative Murphy’s legislation, such as the American College of Physicians, American Association of Medical Colleges, American Medical Association, and Council of Medical Specialty Societies.

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