Nearly half of America’s medical schools are brazenly defying President Trump’s executive orders to eliminate woke DEI programs, with 67 out of 154 accredited institutions continuing to operate diversity offices that prioritize race over merit in medical education.
Story Highlights
- Conservative advocacy group Do No Harm flags 43.5% of medical schools for maintaining DEI offices despite federal orders
- Trump issued executive orders in April 2025 prohibiting accreditation bodies from enforcing DEI standards
- Medical School Excellence Index grades institutions on compliance with anti-DEI policies and academic standards
- Legal experts predict investigations and potential federal funding cuts for non-compliant schools
Medical Schools Openly Resist Federal Anti-DEI Mandates
The conservative physician advocacy group Do No Harm released its Medical School Excellence Index revealing that 67 medical schools continue operating diversity, equity, and inclusion offices months after Trump’s administration ordered their elimination. This defiance comes despite clear federal directives issued in February 2025 giving universities just 14 days to end race-based policies. The report exposes how these institutions prioritize woke ideology over compliance with constitutional principles of equal treatment under law.
Trump Administration Targets DEI in Medical Education Standards
President Trump’s April 2025 executive order specifically prohibited accreditation bodies like the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education from enforcing DEI requirements. This decisive action followed the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling against race-based admissions practices in higher education. The administration’s approach reflects a commitment to merit-based standards and constitutional equal protection principles, directly challenging decades of identity politics infiltration in medical training.
Academic Excellence Under Threat from Identity Politics
Do No Harm’s report documents how DEI programs allegedly lower academic standards to increase minority representation, undermining the rigorous training Americans expect from future physicians. Ian Kingsbury from Do No Harm argues these initiatives promote divisive identity politics that compromise medical education quality. The group’s index evaluates schools based on their commitment to excellence over racial quotas, highlighting institutions that maintain merit-based admissions versus those embracing discriminatory practices favoring certain groups.
Legal Consequences Loom for Non-Compliant Institutions
Legal expert Josh Blackman from South Texas College of Law predicts careful federal scrutiny and possible investigations into flagged medical schools’ compliance with anti-DEI orders. Non-compliant institutions face potential loss of federal funding and accreditation challenges as the Trump administration signals intent to penalize schools defying constitutional mandates. This enforcement represents necessary accountability for institutions that continue promoting unconstitutional race-based policies despite clear federal directives and Supreme Court precedent against such discriminatory practices.
Doctors advocacy group flags nearly half of U.S. medical schools for defying Trump anti-DEI policies @WashTimes https://t.co/aq7XYRXoWu
— Sean Salai (@SeanSalai) October 6, 2025
The outcome of this enforcement battle will determine whether medical education returns to merit-based standards or continues down the dangerous path of identity-driven admissions that compromise healthcare quality for all Americans.
Sources:
Trump executive order targets DEI in medical school, residency accreditation
Doctors advocacy group flags nearly half of U.S. medical schools for defying Trump anti-DEI policies
AMA Resolution on DEI Standards
28 Med Schools Flunk Out in Anti-Woke Medical School Rankings
