Shades of Opportunity: Exploring Race-Conscious Admissions

Join us for a discussion on one of the most complex topics in higher education today: race-conscious admissions. In Part 1 of this two-part episode, we delve into the legal aftermath of the recent Supreme Court decisions (SFFA v. Harvard and SFFA v. UNC); the use of race as a factor in college and graduate school admissions; and how the recent court decision will affect creating more equitable and diverse medical school student bodies. AAMC President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, is joined in conversation by Mark Henderson, MD, and Heather Alarcon, JD, for an enlightening and thought-provoking discussion around this crucial topic. Henderson is professor of internal medicine, vice chair for education, and associate dean for admissions at the University of California, Davis, School of Medicine. He also served as residency program director at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and at UC Davis. The state of California banned affirmative action in 1996, and Henderson provides insight into how medical schools can still have a diverse student body based on his experiences at UC Davis, which is one of the most diverse medical schools in the country. As the senior director of legal services at the AAMC, Alarcon is an expert in matters ranging from civil rights and employment law to national policy issues impacting medical education. She was one of the authors of the AAMC's amicus brief to the Supreme Court in the Harvard and UNC cases in support of race-conscious admissions. Beyond the White Coat is hosted by David J. Skorton, MD, and our executive producer is Zenneia McLendon. Our project manager is Brittany Loca. This episode was produced by Aaron Dillard and edited and engineered by Laura Zelaya. Elena Marinaccio is our copy editor, and De’Angello Powe made all our graphics. Our sound design is by De’Angello Powe and David J. Skorton. Rachel Bunn provided additional support for this episode.