By Matthew Winans of RealClearPolitics
On college campuses across the country, freshmen were starting classes, but I was not one of them. Many medical schools rejected my application, and when I asked why, several told me that my service in our country’s military was unimportant and that I should have spent more time demonstrating my commitment to “diversity” and “equality.”
I served in the U.S. Army from 2012 to 2017. While serving, I attempted to enroll in the military medical school, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, but my career was cut short due to health issues and a service-related disability. After my honorable discharge, I decided to go to civilian medical school and become a pathologist.
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I never thought I would definitely get in, and I don’t believe that veterans like me have a “right” to get in. Still, I thought I had a good chance of getting in because of my degrees in various fields, my years of work experience as a medical technologist in several hospitals, and my other experiences. Plus, given the general preference for diversity in medical schools, I thought my veteran status might help. I’m applying for the 2022-2023 school year. Only 154 students enrolled They were military veterans. Out of 22,712 total. If what medical schools want is a variety of experiences and backgrounds, I figured I had a lot to offer.
Ultimately, the medical schools disagreed.
Consider my experience at Morehouse School of Medicine, a historically black college in Atlanta. I am white, but it has a good reputation and is the closest medical school to my home. After my application was rejected, I requested a re-application consultation to help me learn how to improve my chances in subsequent applications. In May, the admissions counselor told me that my MCAT score was not high enough, even though my score was in line with the average Morehouse admissions student. I could not get an answer as to why it was not high enough. The counselor told me that my mistake was that I did not discuss “equity” in my essay. Clearly, as a white male, I had to demonstrate a special commitment to serving non-white patients.
The counselor also told me that my military service did not qualify as volunteer work, even though our school has a full-time military volunteer program. The vice president of admissions at the University of Georgia Mercer School of Medicine said the same thing, rudely equating my military service to working as a cashier. I asked myself, What kind of volunteer work do medical schools look for? I found the answer in a re-admission counseling session at the University of Alabama Hearsink School of Medicine.
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The admissions counselor again dismissed the idea that military service was volunteer work. Instead, she said I should volunteer at a “barrio free clinic” or a “city center food pantry.” When I asked why that type of volunteer work would be better, the counselor said I should demonstrate “cultural competence.” I can’t imagine a member of another race having to demonstrate cultural competence. Moreover, it’s insulting to assume that volunteer work is the best way to gain that competence. I served with a very diverse group of soldiers and learned valuable lessons about other races, religions, and traditions. I also married a Kenyan woman, had three mixed-race children, and traveled to East Africa several times.
How does volunteering in the city of Varona outweigh my numerous personal experiences? The answer is the same reason the Morehouse counselor wanted me to mention “equality.” It proves your commitment to the diversity-industry complex.
It’s possible that I was pushed out by more qualified applicants at this school and other schools. There are always people in life who are better than you. But after what I’ve seen at many medical schools, I’m not convinced that the quality of my application was the deciding factor. If I had publicly surrendered to the DEI worldview, I would have been admitted to medical school this fall. (The same would be true if I wasn’t white.) The Supreme Court may have banned affirmative action, but the health care advocacy group Do No Harm Shown The thing is, medical schools are finding a million ways to base admissions decisions on race. When medical schools are so openly disrespectful of the sacrifices of disabled veterans like me, who thinks they won’t continue to unfairly and illegally elevate race?
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I plan to apply to more medical schools this year, but I am not optimistic about my chances. My ability to take advantage of the educational benefits I have gained while serving my country is controlled by administrators obsessed with race. In today’s politicized world of “diversity” and “equality,” I fear that disabled white men will not be able to secure a spot in the military, instead of going to the barrios and inner cities to brag and fill out their resumes to protect our country.
Matthew Winans is a U.S. Army Veteran.
Jointly published with permission In RealClearWire.
