Want more black doctors? Improve K-12 education first

So you want diversity in California’s top med schools? Then start by teaching black and brown children — and indeed, all children — to read, write and think. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) recently accused the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine of race-based discrimination after a four-month investigation. The DOJ claims that UCSD favors black and Latino students over white and Asian applicants, using a loophole the school created by asking “hardship questions” that reveal racial identity. The stakes are high. Last year, the National Institutes of Health awarded UCSD over $400 million for research, which could now be at stake, since federal funding requires compliance with federal regulations. So you want diversity in California’s top med schools? Getty Images/Masko