AOA Statement on Supreme Court Decision to Overturn Affirmative Action

Statement attributable to AOA President Ernest Gelb, DO, and Interim CEO, Kathleen S. Creason, MBA:

The American Osteopathic Association (AOA), representing over 178,000 osteopathic physicians and medical students, is disappointed in the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to restrict medical schools from considering race and ethnicity as a factor for admission. Diversity in the physician workforce is a key aspect of eliminating health care disparities in medical treatment and is associated with improved health outcomes for patients and greater patient satisfaction.

The AOA values the importance of racial and ethnic diversity among health care professionals, and we remain committed to ensuring that the makeup of the osteopathic profession is representative of the patient population we serve.