The University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) David Geffen School of Medicine, considered one of the top medical schools globally, has experienced a decline in rankings. Some faculty members suggest that admissions decisions that emphasize diversity over merit may be a contributing factor. In 2021, Associate Dean for Admissions Jennifer Lucero reportedly expressed frustration when a member of the admissions committee raised concerns about the suitability of a black student with grades and test scores significantly lower than the school’s average. This information was disclosed by the Washington Free Beacon.
“Did you not know African-American women are dying at a higher rate than everybody else?” Lucero said, suggesting that the applicant’s scores should not be taken into account and that the school required individuals like them. This reaction from Lucero has made some of the admissions officers feel uneasy, with one of them describing it as “troubling.”
The outlet continued:
“In interviews with the Free Beacon and complaints to UCLA officials, including investigators in the university’s Discrimination Prevention Office, faculty members with firsthand knowledge of the admissions process say it has prioritized diversity over merit, resulting in progressively less qualified classes that are now struggling to succeed. Within three years of Lucero’s hiring in 2020, UCLA dropped from 6th to 18th place in U.S. News & World Report‘s rankings for medical research. And in some of the cohorts she admitted, more than 50 percent of students failed standardized tests on emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics. “Race-based admissions have turned UCLA into a ‘failed medical school,’ said one former member of the admissions staff. ‘We want racial diversity so badly, we’re willing to cut corners to get it.’”’
The school lists Lucero’s bio as “participates actively in the recruitment of underrepresented students to the profession of medicine through her work in pathway and outreach programs. As a Chicana physician, she takes a special interest in diversity issues in medicine and disparities in the delivery of obstetric healthcare to women of color,” the site reads.
The school’s website features an “Anti-racism Roadmap” and asserts its dedication to combating “structural racism.” UCLA mandated that incoming medical students participate in a lecture in March centered on “racial equity,” during which a guest speaker led attendees in chanting “Free Palestine,” as reported.
