SPOTLIGHT ON ABORTION CARE & REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE��

Women Hold Up Half the Sky,
But What About the Conditions on the Ground?

Written by Jeff Koetje, MD, Ģ����Ƶ Reproductive Health Programming Strategist

As I sit down to write this post for a special edition of the Ģ����Ƶ Repro eNewsletter in recognition of the start of and (March), (March 8), and (March 10), I am mindful – and with a heaviness in my heart – of the truth that this is a world, in 2025, that still does not recognize, honor, and protect the full humanity of roughly half the world’s population. We are alive during a time in human history when the ideology of patriarchy and the systems of patriarchal power have a grip – a death grip – on the world. Of course, patriarchy and patriarchal systems don’t operate in isolation, as they are inextricably linked with heterosexism (heteropatriarchy), cis-sexism (cis-heteropatriarchy)�� and white supremacy (white supremacist cis-heteropatriarchy).��

When we also include, as we should, a consideration of globalized capitalism and (neo-)colonialism, we must honestly acknowledge that there is currently no globally-dominant ideology or system that views women, girls, femme people, and people with uteruses as fully human. I’m not going to start an essay about the status of women in this society (the US) or globally, by gaslighting anyone into thinking that the material conditions of life are better than they actually are for women, girls, femme people, and people with uteruses. They are not. And to have to say this in 2025 is the shame that will hang forever around the collective neck of all of us who are alive in this moment. Or let me say, this will be our shame, unless we actually take radical action to radically change the status of women, girls, femme people, and people with uteruses, by radically changing ourselves, our beliefs, our values, our systems, and our politics.��

If you’ve read my previous Spotlight articles here in the Ģ����Ƶ Repro eNewsletter, you know that I frequently write from a deeply personal perspective. This article will be no different. I grew up as an effeminate, quiet, bookish boy in a cultural milieu that was thoroughly saturated in white supremacist heteropatriarchal religion, militarism, and politics. For the entirety of my primary and secondary education, within the walls of a Christian�� school, I was relentlessly bullied for my non-normative masculinity – called a faggot, a fag, a girl, a pussy – and it was never not clear to me that the violence directed at me was because I somehow violated the terms and conditions of my membership in this giant club of men and boys (which I never recalled signing up for in the first place). So, from my earliest awareness of myself as a boy, I was also aware that I was already in violation of the rules of what boys must be. And what they must not be, and cannot be allowed to be: a girl. One of the earliest memories I have, related to my gender, is of being scolded for not being “boy enough” – which was really much more about being “too girly” – when my mother observed me tuck my robe underneath my legs (like one might do when wearing a dress or skirt), as I sat down on the family room couch, and she said, with shame dripping from every word, “�ٴDz�’t do that. �ٴDz�’t sit down like that.” My mother murdered my spirit in that moment; I knew instantly that what she was saying had everything to do with my failure to be “man enough.” It was also an early lesson in the god-awful truth that, among the oppressed, there will always be some number willing to serve as overseers in the interest of the oppressors.��

Femmephobia (the root of misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia) runs deep. Notions around gender are matters that I’ve had to pay attention to my entire life, because my own self-preservation required the development of a hyper-awareness of the spoken and unspoken boundaries that separated “boy/man/masculine” (good) from “girl/woman/feminine” (bad). In this way, I’ve internalized a heightened awareness of the sociopolitical, cultural, and material status of women, girls, femme people, and people with uteruses, because, for a significant portion of my life, I’ve been lumped in with the half of humanity which white supremacist cis-heteropatriarchy deems less-than-fully-human. I was rejected by patriarchy, first, for�� my effeminate mannerisms, and then, ultimately, for being gay (quite literally rejected: my father and my mother have disowned me for being gay.)

So, I’m writing this essay at the start of the month that focuses on the sociopolitical, cultural and material status of women, girls, femme people, and people with uteruses, and that also foregrounds, celebrates, and honors what women and femme people have contributed to the human experience. Afterall, even Mao Zedong, referencing an old Chinese proverb, famously said during the Chinese Cultural Revolution of 1966 – 1976, “Women hold up half the sky.” Honestly, this is an understatement, but even if we just accept the statement at face value, I have to ask – we all need to ask –

Sure, but do we really mean it? Does the undeniable truth of the full humanity of women, girls, femme people, and people with uteruses actually mean anything in the material sense,
in terms of the conditions of their lives, here on the ground, where humans actually live?

Patriarchy has no problem putting women on pedestals, ostensibly to honor them; but pedestals are just another form of patriarchal confinement, control, even imprisonment.

Here’s a prediction that should cause all of us to stop dead in our tracks. According to the World Economic Forum, our world will not reach full�� gender parity until the late 2150s if the rate of progress does not accelerate from the current trajectory.��That’s another 130 years, or more – that’s another five to seven human generations from now! No wonder the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is “Accelerate Action!” What do we do with this prediction, in light of the legal maxim, “Justice delayed is justice denied”? As earthly creatures with morality, how are we going to respond to this miscarriage of justice? If we do nothing to change the trajectory and the rate of change for the status of women, girls, femme people, and people with uteruses, our non-action is our response. And, just as much, to do nothing would give the lie to any claim that we make about recognizing their full humanity. In the absence of taking a radically different course of action, the ongoing denial of justice and the ongoing harm – even to the point of death – that half of the world’s population is subjected to will continue.��

From my positionality as a cis, white man, my call to action at the start of this month – which is actually a response to the call to action coming from women, girls, femme people, and people with uteruses – is, in part, to call in my male and masculine kin. We, who inhabit the gendered embodiment of masculinity which patriarchy deems most fully human and for which patriarchal systems claim exclusive rights and privileges, must recognize the inhumanity of patriarchy and the inhuman violence of patriarchal systems. And then, we must do the necessary work of delegitimizing the ideology, disentangling ourselves from the false beliefs, and dismantling the violent systems of patriarchy. This is on us (men and masculine people). This is our problem to solve. Our harm to repair. The lives and livelihood of real, flesh-and-blood women, girls, femme people, and people with uteruses depend upon this. And just as much, the embodied humanity of men and boys and masculine people depends upon this, too.

*Image Celebrate Abortion Care Providers on March 10 and Every Day! Learn more – Find Resources ��and��

Find info & resources about Endometriosis throughout March on Instagram @Ģ����Ƶnational. Read & Share On Call Spotlight – The Reality of Endometriosis

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*Note: an excerpt of this Spotlight is included in Ģ����Ƶ Reproductive Health Project eNews #40: Special Issue – Abortion Provider Appreciation Day Next Week & Beyond!
Find the current and past issues in the Ģ����Ƶ Repro eNews Archive.

��

Explore the Ģ����Ƶ Reproductive Health Project
Find news, tips, tools, opportunities�� & more!

for Ģ����Ƶ Repro Project Updates

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SPOTLIGHT ON ABORTION CARE & REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE��

Human Dignity, Human Rights

Written by Jeff Koetje, MD, Ģ����Ƶ Reproductive Health Programming Strategist

If you’ve been following Ģ����Ƶ National’s social media, including our Instagram and Facebook pages, you’ve likely noticed that the Ģ����Ƶ Reproductive Health Project has�� been working with our social media team to create a 30-day series of posts that highlight the 30 identified human rights in the United Nations 1948 document on the , perhaps the best known declaration of human rights in the modern era. We’ve posted about one human right each day over the past week, so, check it out here if you haven’t seen it, or want to check it out again. And keep following us @Ģ����ƵNational on and as we continue on through all 30 declarations in the month of December!

There’s something else about the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights that is rather remarkable and deeply relevant to the political moment we find ourselves in now, with the results of the 2024 election pointing to the possibility of coordinated attempts to weaken the constitutional and legal protections of human and civil rights in the US. What is special about the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights is that it states clearly that all human rights are intrinsically derived from the natural and universal dignity that is possessed equally by every human being. In fact, the declaration’s Preamble begins with these words:

Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world…

And immediately following the Preamble, the first article (Article 1) states:

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood [sic].

Notice how dignity and rights go hand-in-hand?

The notion of human dignity has a long history. The word, “dignity” has not always had the meaning of something inherent and equal in all persons. In the past, the word has conveyed a quality whose quantity people possess more or less of, depending on the circumstances. A more dignified person was someone with more wealth, greater social stature, a more important job, or in possession of more power. Dignity, in this way, wasn’t inherent to the humanness of a person, but was “granted” to those deemed worthy by virtue of these external factors. So, the connection between the notion of a dignity that is inherent to all humans and the notion of universal human rights is a more modern connection, but the seeds for it can be traced through much of human history, going back to some of the earliest known recordings of human rights, such as a Persian clay cylinder dated to the mid-500s BCE, known as the Cyrus Cylinder (named after Cyrus the Great of Persia, who established basic rights for Persians and conquered Babylonians, through laws written in cuneiform on the clay cylinder).��

So, while it is true that the word “dignity” has not always referred to an intrinsic quality that is possessed equally by all humans, it has come to mean that over time. And is a great example of how the great flows of human ideas, experiences, language, and values can come together in ways that help us better articulate the meaning that we create when we reflect on the individual and collective human experiences through time and culture. Eventually, we (humans) started to understand that we humans could live better lives, under better conditions, if we come to the table of society with a willingness to grant mutual recognition of human worth, and codify that recognition of human worth through laws that provide basic protections and assurances to each and every person for the material and immaterial conditions for living these better lives. The universal quality of human dignity is the basis for�� – and in fact, demands no less than – recognition of universal human rights – these are rights to, for example, clean water and air, sufficient food and housing/shelter, education, and healthcare…and also sexual pleasure, rest, and play! These are ALL universal human rights!

In this moment of time, in 2024, we are once again faced with direct attacks against so many of our universal human rights, and if we are paying attention, we can notice that these attacks against human rights are preceded by attacks against the notion of universal human dignity. Who are the people whose human dignity is being attacked right now? Trans people. Houseless people. People who are incarcerated. People living with disabilities. People seeking refuge or asylum. Black people. Women. Pregnant people. This is hardly a complete listing, and the list will only grow, if we don’t do what we can and what we must, to stop it. So, let’s come together to preserve, protect, and honor each other’s dignity – a way of saying, the divine in me recognizes the divine in you.

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*Note: an excerpt of this Spotlight is included in Ģ����Ƶ Reproductive Health Project eNews
#33: Building Community, Connecting Human Rights & Repro Justice, Dec 7 2024
Find the current and past issues in the Ģ����Ƶ Repro eNews Archive.

Explore the Ģ����Ƶ Reproductive Health Project
Find news, tips, tools, opportunities�� & more!

for Ģ����Ƶ Repro Project Updates

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SPOTLIGHT ON ABORTION CARE & REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE��

Project 2025: What Future Physicians Need to Know about Threats
to Departments of Education & HHS, Reproductive Health Care, Physician Autonomy & More

Written by Becky Martin, Ģ����Ƶ Senior Manager of Reproductive Health Advocacy

is a 900+page “,” that a step-by-step guide for a conservative presidential administration to implement an “extreme agenda across the federal government from day one.”

Ģ����Ƶ Reproductive Health Project allies at the and the have both analyzed Project 2025 and its plans for reproductive health, abortion care, gender justice, HHS, the Department of Education, and beyond. What we are learning about the impact provisions in Project 2025 would have on healthcare and education in the U.S. is frankly alarming us, and we want to make sure it’s on your radar too!

Here are a few general findings from NWLC we want to highlight, Project 2025:

• “offers sweeping policy proposals that would dramatically overhaul how our federal government, including departments, agencies, sub-agencies, and personnel, would function”
  
  
• “seeks to impose a hierarchal, gendered, patriarchal vision of society” and “reinforce racial hierarchies”
  
  
• “seeks to dismantle all policies that are described as promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion and to reverse gains on gender justice and racial justice” and “calls for the elimination of federal funding for entities that promote diversity, equity, or inclusion”
  
  
• “seeks to harm LGBTQI+ people by narrowly defining sex to mean “biological sex as determined at birth,” seeking to deny transgender and nonbinary people’s existence” and “would undermine protections against sex discrimination in health care”

Related to Abortion Care, Project 2025:

• “calls for the elimination of references to “abortion,” “reproductive health,” and “sexual and reproductive rights” from all federal rules, regulations, contracts, and grants”
  
  
• “disavows abortion as part of health care. It seeks to recast HHS as the ‘Department of Life’ and would establish the mission of HHS as ‘furthering the health and well-being of all Americans from conception to natural death’ “
• “would seek to increase federal surveillance of pregnant people nationwide by mandating state reporting on state abortion data”
  
  
• “seeks to drastically expand federal laws that allow hospitals, doctors, and nurses to deny patients the care they need based on providers’ personal beliefs, not based on what is best for the patient”

Related to the Department of Education, Project 2025:

• “seeks to eliminate the Education Department entirely”
  
  
• “equates the acknowledgement of transgender people with child abuse and pornography” and “proposes harsh penalties against when school libraries include books that discuss transgender people”
  
  
• “calls for prosecuting ‘all state and local governments, institutions of higher education, corporations, and any other private employers’ that maintain affirmative action or diversity, equity, and inclusion policies”
  
  
• “strip ED’s power to cancel, discharge, or forgive balances, or modify the terms or repayment amounts, of student loan debt”
  
  
• “would rescind regulations that made it easy for those who were defrauded by their college—or who attended an institution that closed—to discharge their loans”
  
  

Find & share the full report by the National Women’s Law Center here

The Guttmacher Institute fact sheet details how its “far-reaching recommendations would severely limit reproductive autonomy and access to reproductive health care, while turning back the clock on hard-won gains, both domestically and globally.”�� They find some of the “most serious threats to sexual and reproductive health” in Project 2025 include:

1. Threats to Medication Abortion��

Project 2025 strategies include:

• “restricting—and ultimately eliminating—access to mifepristone” and “reinstating medically unnecessary restrictions on mifepristone that require in-person dispensing and limit who can prescribe and receive the medication”
  
  
• “effectively ending telehealth provision of the method” and “revoking mifepristone’s US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, which would remove the drug from the market entirely”
  
  
• “bypass the FDA and effectively ban medication abortion—and potentially all abortions—through enforcement of the Comstock Act, an 1873 anti-obscenity law that prohibits mailing anything ‘intended for producing abortion.’ The law could be used to prevent the distribution of medication and supplies needed for abortion care and if applied broadly, it could result in a nationwide total abortion ban.”

2. Broader Attacks on Abortion Access

• Project 2025 “calls on Congress to codify into law the and Amendments, harmful policies that limit access to abortion care in the United States by restricting the use of federal funds for abortion care and coverage”��

3. Denying Access to Abortion Care in Emergency Situations

• Project 2025 ��“calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to dismantle the abortion protections provided under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). Refusal to enforce EMTALA’s protections for abortion care puts pregnant people’s lives in jeopardy, by forcing providers to risk criminal charges if they perform potentially lifesaving abortion care.”

4. Increasing Misinformation, Disinformation and Stigma

Project 2025:

• “uses charged, medically inaccurate anti-abortion rhetoric—including language falsely portraying abortion as unsafe—to break down support for abortion rights and bolster efforts to criminalize providers”
  
  
• “paves the way for increased criminalization of pregnancy outcomes other than abortion”
  
  
• “seeks to redefine basic sexual health education as ‘pornography “’ and “recommends replacing comprehensive with ���ܰ��������ܱ���”
  

5. Weaponization of Federal Medicaid Dollars

• Project 2025 “calls for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to encourage states to eliminate all Planned Parenthood facilities from their state Medicaid programs” and “suggests that CMS create a new regulation that would disqualify abortion providers nationwide”

6. Attacks on Contraception

Project 2025:

• “seeks to severely undermine two cornerstones of US contraceptive provision: Title X, the national publicly funded family planning program, and the federal contraceptive coverage guarantee of the Affordable Care Act”
  
  
• “proposes reinstating the harmful “domestic gag rule,” which would prohibit health care providers who receive Title X funding from providing abortion referrals and would require them to be physically and financially separated from any abortion-related activities, including counseling”��

7. Impact on Reproductive Health Worldwide

• Project 2025 “proposes immediately reinstating the global gag rule, which would prevent non-US NGOs from receiving US government global health assistance if they used their own, non-US funds to provide abortion services, information, counseling, referrals or advocacy”

Read & share the Guttmacher Institute detailed fact sheet here

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Please send your comments and suggestions to rhp@amsa.org

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SPOTLIGHT ON ABORTION CARE & REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE��

Healing with Art & Activism

Written by Becky Martin, Ģ����Ƶ Senior Manager of Reproductive Health Advocacy

During our collective COVID shutdown we were reminded of the power of music to nurture and heal by the Dr. Elvis Francois and Dr. William Robinson.

This week, we mark the passing of a clarion voice for justice, a voice that united art and activism. A voice that ignited passion calling “.” A voice that co-founded the , and started — Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon died at the age of 81 on Tuesday morning — may she rest in peace and power.��

Much like , “one of the founders of social medicine” did, after recognizing “poverty caused disease as much as germs” and understanding “both the politician and the physician had a moral obligation to heal society,” by calling mid-19th-century physicians to advocate for public health practices and serve as “attorney for the poor,” recognized

“artists really had a big role to play in challenging our society and culture
to transform itself and to do better.”��

Dr. Reagon talked with Democracy Now over the years about the . She spoke eloquently about the ; and about how, as we saw with the , shared song can nurture and unite people with different life experiences in action.��

She had a deep appreciation of the value of young people in creating a better future in our shared world, along with a special understanding of how we stand on the shoulders of giants who’ve come before. If you are not already familiar with the inspirational words and music of Sweet Honey and the Rock I invite you to explore these historic interviews – Legendary Civil Rights Singers and .

As we face the realities of challenges presented by our current profits before people (patients and providers) healthcare non-system in the United States – including our outrageously high and growing rate of maternal mortality – the need for nurturing, healing and connections across our communities is clear. ��Lifting voices in the call for a high-quality, affordable and sustainable healthcare system that ensures access and reproductive freedom and justice for all is essential – together we can make a difference!����

The words of set beautifully in song by Dr. Reagon in are a keen reminder:��

We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes

Until the killing of black men, black mothers’ sons
Is as important as the killing of white men, white mothers’ sons

That which touches me most is that I had a chance to work with people
Passing on to others that which was passed on to me

To me young people come first, they have the courage where we fail
And if I can but shed some light as they carry us through the gale

The older I get the better I know that the secret of my going on
Is when the reins are in the hands of the young, who dare to run against the storm

Not needing to clutch for power, not needing the light just to shine on me
I need to be one in the number as we stand against tyranny

Struggling myself don’t mean a whole lot, I’ve come to realize
That teaching others to stand up and fight is the only way my struggle survives

I’m a woman who speaks in a voice and I must be heard
At times I can be quite difficult, I’ll bow to no man’s word

We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes

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*Note: an excerpt of this Spotlight is included in Ģ����Ƶ Reproductive Health Project eNews #25: , July 20, 2024
Find the current and past issues in the Ģ����Ƶ Repro eNews Archive.

Explore the Ģ����Ƶ Reproductive Health Project
Find news, tips, tools, opportunities�� & more!

for Ģ����Ƶ Repro Project Updates

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Once a year, we come together as a diverse force of future physicians banded together with a common goal: to make positive change in healthcare. To dare to envision a better realm of medicine — to overcome barriers that stand in the way of health equity and accelerate lasting change. Justice. Inclusion. Dare to blaze the path forward with us as we become the architects of a brighter tomorrow, and we invite you to join us on this inspiring journey.

At Future Physicians for Change, we don’t just talk about change; we are the change. As you enter our world, you’ll find yourself on the forefront of a revolution in healthcare. It’s a place where the status quo is challenged, where barriers are shattered, and where dreams of a fairer, more inclusive medical field take flight.

This isn’t just a conference; it’s an opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself. It’s a space where daring visionaries gather to craft a future where healthcare knows no bounds.

Join us, and dare to be the spark that blazes the path forward toward a brighter, more equitable world. Dare to dream, dare to act, and dare to be an instrumental part of the change. The journey begins at��Future Physicians for Change.

Conference Details

Date: May 30 – June 1, 2024
Location: Washington, D.C.’s Hyatt Regency Crystal City.

This year, Ģ����Ƶ is proud to co-host the Future Physicians for Change conference with six other prominent medical student organizations, American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), Canadian Federation of Medical Students (CFMS), Medical Students for Choice (MSFC), Medical Students for Sustainable Future (MS4SF), South Asian Medical Student Association (SĢ����Ƶ), Association of Native American Medical Students (ANAMS), including International Federation of Medical Students’ Association (IFMSA), and potentially more. By uniting our forces, we aim to create an event that transcends boundaries, fostering collaboration and dialogue among the brightest minds in the medical community.

Key Programs:

1. Residency and Specialty Fair

Engage directly with program directors, inquire about away rotations, application processes, and gain insights into what programs/specialties are looking for. This isn’t your average job fair for aspiring physicians—it’s a dynamic showcase crafted exclusively for future leaders in medicine.

2. Sim Challenge

Teams of 4-5 students will compete in a series of simulated clinical scenarios requiring medical knowledge, clinical skills, teamwork, and communication.

3. Poster Session

Present your research project to a VIP panel of Ģ����Ƶ experts and leaders at Future Physicians for Change. Showcase your work, hone your public speaking skills, network with influencers, and boost your CV. Plus, win prizes if you nail it!

4. Advocacy Day on the Hill

On May 30th, 2024, we will lift our voices as future physicians to the Senate, educating and advocating for the kind of healthcare system we want to work in and the healthcare we want for our patients, families, and communities.

AND WAIT–there’s MORE!

Collaboration with AMOpportunities

We are thrilled to announce an exciting partnership with AMOpportunities (AMO). This year, Ģ����Ƶ and AMO have teamed up to provide exclusive two-week clinical rotations to attendees of the Future Physicians for Change Conference. These rotations, available either before or after the conference, offer a unique clinical experiences in the medical field.

Key Details:

• Rotation Dates: May 13–24 or June 3–14, 2024
• Cost: $1500
• Registration:��

AMO will be offering 30 two-week rotations across the U.S. in over 70 specialties, allowing you to tailor your clinical experience to match your interests. This incredible opportunity is a chance to apply the knowledge gained at the conference in a real-world setting, further enriching your understanding of the medical landscape.

.

Be the Change

Future Physicians for Change is not just a conference; it’s a movement. It’s an opportunity to contribute to the transformation of healthcare, to challenge the norms, and to be an active participant in shaping the future of medicine.

As we converge in Washington, D.C., let us unite under the banner of change. Let us be the architects of a healthcare system that knows no bounds, where inclusivity reigns supreme, and where each voice, including yours, makes a resounding impact.

Dare to dream, dare to act, and dare to be an instrumental part of the change. The journey begins at Future Physicians for Change. We look forward to welcoming you to this unparalleled experience that promises to redefine the future of medicine.

Register for all the above and more at��.

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Just when you thought Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis couldn’t get any worse, he’s supporting the Florida State Board of Education’s new education standards which include teaching K-12 students that slavery had “benefits” for enslaved people. DeSantis, Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, and state board of education member MaryLynn Magar believe it is appropriate to teach our children, our future generations, that enslaved people

This concerning and disturbing display of historical revisionism, not only violates any sort of decency standard, but also amounts to a distressing act of white-washing. To be clear, this is not stemming from ignorance, but from a willful, malicious attempt to push an agenda of white supremacy and anti-Black racism. This is also a clear demonstration of the fascist desire to control all aspects of an educational system in order to advance the narratives (propaganda) that facilitate fascist control over all aspects of a society.��

While DeSantis signed the last year, seemingly aiming to protect the fragile egos of a subset of , he has blatantly disregarded the deep harm caused by promoting a narrative in our educational system that downplays the historical suffering endured by Black people under slavery, and the on-going harm caused to Black people in a society that continues to operate under white supremacist anti-Black racism and anti-Indigeneity. He along with his like-minded white supremacist, fascist “friends” are directly hindering the genuine progress of our country and perpetuating a harmful narrative that dismisses the impact of systemic racism and denies the lived experiences of marginalized communities.��

DeSantis is running a distant second to Trump in national polling for the Republican presidential nomination, and his desperation has only made him more eager to prove himself to the MAGA supporters as a more destructive, more extreme bigot worthy of their adoration. This is what he aims to do by defending a racist curriculum stating that “scholars” put together this “academic standard” (read as “manipulative narrative” – or, to put it more directly, propaganda). Under the guise of “educational reform” this is actually a direct attack against educational truth and truthfulness; under the cloak of “teaching history” this is actually a direct attempt to grab total power to control the narrative that shapes the present and future reality. It is exceedingly important to keep in our focus all the ways that fascist movements seek to control what historical narratives are allowed to be told, and how they are told () in order to control what kind of future reality is allowed to unfold. For this reason, we cannot just critique this so-called reform – and those who support it – as merely foolish and misguided; It is manipulative, nefarious, and very, very dangerous. As an organization representing tens of thousands of future physicians – current students who have committed to life-long learning – the Ģ����Ƶ (Ģ����Ƶ) will�� not stand for this.��

At Ģ����Ƶ we are ethically and morally committed to pushing back against those who engage in whitewashing history. We are committed to truth, honesty, and integrity in education. We are unwavering in our dedication to confront uncomfortable truths of the past, including abhorrent realities of slavery and its devastating impact on the lives of millions of people even to this present moment. We empower our members to be compassionate advocates for justice. If you want to learn the truth of our history and fight against fascist political operators such as Governor DeSantis and his propagandist operatives in agencies like the Florida Board of Education, join us to be a real scholar.�� Enroll in one of the Ģ����Ƶ Scholars Programs for the 2023-24 academic year which include Racism in Medicine, Transgender Health, Sexual Health, Health Justice, and Premedical program, just to name a few. The Fall Scholars Programs begin in September, and registration is open! Knowledge is power, and armed with the truth, we have the strength to combat those who attempt to create false histories in order to invert what people will know and accept as “truth” in the present and in the future.��

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On Thursday, June 29, 2023, in the case of Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina,��

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled that the admissions programs at Harvard and University of North Carolina violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, essentially striking down Affirmative Action programs across the country.

Along with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, The Ģ����Ƶ (Ģ����Ƶ) strongly dissents with the majority opinion of the Supreme Court which undermines the importance of affirmative action, a measure supported by Justices John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. This ruling undermines close to six decades of precedent to promote equal opportunity and eliminate discriminatory practices. We maintain it is an ill-conceived, racist, and biased discourse that undermines the importance of diversity in our educational institutions and blatantly threatens equitable healthcare at its core. This ruling unfortunately does not come as a surprise in light of the pervasive spread of racist agendas evident in the alarming trend of states cutting down on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) funding for colleges. Justice Roberts and other conservative members of SCOTUS’s idea of “colorblindness” is not only misguided, but ignores the persistent inequities based on race and color we face on a daily basis. This ruling will continue to perpetuate systemic disparities that disproportionately affect racially marginalized communities.����

In accordance with our Preamble, Purposes and Principles, Ģ����Ƶ remains steadfast in its unwavering commitment to advocating for racial equity in education and healthcare. As future physicians committed to justice and equality, we are profoundly outraged and decry the restriction of affirmative action. We strongly support increased representation of minority students in all levels of education, including colleges and medical schools.�� By fostering diversity and inclusion, institutions have the power to create more empathetic and inclusive learning environments. Moreover, It has been repeatedly evidenced that diversity within the healthcare workforce and medical education system improves healthcare outcomes. According to the AAMC, “As an overwhelming body of scientific research compiled over decades confirms, diversity literally saves lives by ensuring that the Nation’s increasingly diverse population will be served by healthcare professionals competent to meet its needs.” Indeed, physicians who train within a diverse learning environment become better practitioners. The Supreme Court’s decision forces colleges and health-professional schools to deviate from their ethical duty and obligation to protect the wellbeing of our nation’s most vulnerable groups by restricting the consideration of race in admissions decisions. This decision not only reifies systemic barriers to educational opportunity, but will also actively dismantle efforts to ensure that physician workforce diversity reflects the diversity of the communities that we seek to serve.��

We call on our members to catalyze our collective voice in holding our institutions accountable to creating and maintaining safe inclusive educational environments that promote and celebrate diversity. Now is the time to rise up and make our voices heard. You are powerful, your voice is powerful. Send an to your college administration, urging them to reaffirm their commitment to diversity in the admissions process. Let them know that you expect and demand an inclusive educational environment! your state legislators, urge them to enact legislation that promotes and celebrates diversity. This is your call to action, demand accountability and drive the conversation towards progress.��

To learn more about our work, join Ģ����Ƶ.��

References:��

1. ��Marcella Alsan et al., Does Diversity Matter for Health? Experimental Evidence from Oakland, 109 Am. Econ. Rev. 4071, 4074-75 (2019)
2. U.S. Dep’t of Health & Human Servs., Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, 2021 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, at ES-2 (2021) (https://tinyurl.com/3ek4zbay)
3. McFarling, U. L. (2023, June 29). Supreme Court strikes down use of affirmative action, a blow to efforts to diversify medical schools. STAT. https://www.statnews.com/2023/06/29/supreme-court-strikes-down-use-of-affirmative-action-a-blow-to-efforts-to-diversify-medical-schools/

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The Ģ����Ƶ (Ģ����Ƶ) would like to thank Dr. R. Ray Jr. for publically detailing his experience with racism during his residency education, as detailed in his blog post, . The reported willful dismissal of racist and discriminatory practices is disgusting and atrocious. We recognize that this is only one example of many that impact Black and Brown medical trainees in medical education. We would like to express our solidarity with Dr. Ray. Ģ����Ƶ calls on the ACGME (Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education) to conduct a formal and thorough investigation of these incidents.��

Ģ����Ƶ stands firmly against any form of racism, discrimination, or bias within the medical profession. At Ģ����Ƶ, we recognize that there are other incredible organizations and individuals who are leaders in antiracist work. We are committed to learning from and collaborating with allies in this space. Together, we can catalyze conversations and actions that can dismantle the pathology of racism in medicine.

We urge institutions, including the ACGME, to implement reporting systems that are followed by meaningful action. These reporting systems should guarantee confidentiality, protection against retaliation, and a thorough investigation by a third party. Medical trainees need more robust protections and the ACGME should demand corrective actions when trainees are mistreated.��

Additionally, medical schools and residency programs must provide education and training on cultural humility, unconscious bias, and the importance of fostering a diverse and inclusive learning environment. We must create a safe and inclusive culture for all trainees and not host DEI sessions simply to complete a “checkbox”. Medical institutions must evaluate their practices, policies, and culture to ensure an environment that fosters diversity, inclusion, and equity.

We cannot stand idle as those who are experiencing mistreatment, discrimination, and racism speak up in isolation. All healthcare workers have a responsibility to challenge and confront structural and overt racism. Allyship in these spaces and refusal to be silent in situations of overt and subversive discrimination is indispensable and our moral responsibility.

To medical trainees who have experienced or witnessed racism, discrimination, or bias, we encourage you to share your experiences, as you can safely. If medical leadership teams are committed to creating more diverse and inclusive environments, the sharing of these experiences must be followed by meaningful and public action. We cannot afford to have “silent” allies in the pursuit of dismantling institutional racism. We need bold and effective action.

Ģ����Ƶ stands in solidarity with Dr. Ray and with all individuals who have experienced and continue to experience racism and discrimination in the workplace. We need more doctors like Dr. Ray, who shed light on discriminatory practices and further exemplify the type of leadership that is desperately needed in the field of medicine. Others, specifically those who hold more privilege and power in these spaces, are absolutely crucial to challenge these racist systems. Only when we face institutional racism head-on, can we begin to build the equitable healthcare system that our country needs.

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As of 2020, 26% of documented immigrants and 42% of undocumented immigrants lacked health insurance, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Faced with striking statistics like these, the Georgetown University Ģ����Ƶ chapter held a panel to raise awareness of these issues so future physicians can better understand how to help vulnerable populations.

With panelists Dr. Eileen Moore and Dr. Paul Lozano, the Ģ����Ƶ e-board discussed barriers that prevent immigrants from accessing healthcare, including language, health literacy, and socioeconomic status. The e-board also shared their own stories related to immigration and healthcare. For example, Chapter President Inochi Gonzalez Calvo (see right, M.D. Candidate, Class of 2025) shared that when her family moved to the U.S. when she was 12, she had to act as an interpreter for her parents at appointments, underscoring the barriers to communication that many immigrants face today.

Although the Georgetown SOM Ģ����Ƶ chapter is relatively small, with less than 15 members, the dedicated chapter leaders put together a successful virtual event with roughly 20 highly-engaged attendees —��no small feat during this era of zoom-fatigue for medical students.��

Inochi credits the success of the event to these efforts. As a chapter, they:

• Started planning early
• Drew on their personal contacts to find experts to serve as panelists
• Emphasized the panelists as people to lend credibility
• Promoted the event widely through Georgetown’s weekly newsletter, class presidents, and their own friends and contacts.

Are you looking to plan an event on your campus? Let us know how we can help — Ģ����Ƶ’s national leaders have a trove of ideas to lend if you like. Email members@amsa.org��

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Empowering a next generation of culturally-conscious leaders is central to our mission at Ģ����Ƶ —��which is why we were thrilled to team up with the ABIM Foundation, created by the American Board of Internal Medicine, on the Building Trust Essay Contest. Here, medical students were invited to lend thoughts and experiences on building, losing, or restoring trust in a healthcare setting.

Ģ����Ƶ and ABIM received essays that tackled topics like racism, attacks on medical expertise during the pandemic, health equity, and students’ relationships with mentors and faculty. A panel of judges chose four winners:

• Teva Brender from Oregon Health & Sciences University of a patient in the ICU whose spouse refused to get the COVID vaccine. Brender’s essay explored the medical community’s role in patient skepticism and what can be done to change it.��
  
• Howard Chang from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , drawing on a study he conducted with his mentor and his own experience with chronic pain.
• Sunil Joshi at Oregon Health & Sciences University with a patient who made racist remarks to him, but later apologized after Joshi treated him for several weeks and they developed a rapport.
• Meher Kalkat at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine – and even found a source of laughter – with a teenage cancer patient who was frustrated about missing his prom.��

The judges also awarded honorable mentions to six other students: Clarice Douille, Veenadhari Kollipara, Paul Lewis, Armaan Ahmen Rowther, Suman Vadlamani, and Nicholas Wilson.

Their essays were also published in the September/October issue of Ģ����Ƶ’s The New Physician magazine and are being showcased on the and social media channels.��

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