Abstract
Now that the US Supreme Court has struck down race-conscious admissions in higher education, institutions are looking to California where the practice has been banned in public schools for nearly 3 decades. After Proposition 209 prohibited granting "preferential treatment" based on race, sex, color, or ethnic or national origin in 1996, enrollment of students from Black and Hispanic/Latino backgrounds fell dramatically throughout the University of California (UC) undergraduate system. Similar bans in 8 states led to a 37% reduction in the proportion of matriculated Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American medical students. However, over the past 15 years, UC Davis School of Medicine (UC Davis) has tripled enrollment of these students by developing an admissions model that prioritizes state workforce needs and attention to the mission fit, lived experience, and socioeconomic background of each applicant. The UC Davis experience offers lessons for institutions seeking to uphold a commitment to health and education equity.
This resource is found in our Actionable Strategies for Health Organizations: Promoting Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion.
