When Atrium Health and the Wake Forest University School of Medicine announced plans in 2021 to build Charlotte’s first four-year medical school, they said they wanted it to have “one of the most diverse learner bodies in the country.”
But now that the campus has opened its doors, it’s hard to determine whether they hit that goal. Despite repeated requests, including from a local elected official, the school has not released data on the ethnic and racial makeup of its first class.
The school’s reticence may reflect a broader shift taking place across the country in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision banning race-conscious admissions. That ruling, along with new federal initiatives targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, has made many institutions cautious about discussing diversity, said Roger A. Mitchell, president-elect of the National Medical Association, which represents Black physicians…