Trump Administration Investigates Medical School Admissions
On Wednesday, the Trump administration asked for admissions records from three medical schools, indicating a possible probe into race-related discrimination during the admissions process.
“Our current focus is on examining the potential for racial discrimination in medical school admissions,” stated Harmeet K. Dhillon, the Justice Department’s assistant attorney general for civil rights, in a letter to the institutions.
The schools involved are the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, and The Ohio State Medical University.
The Department of Justice confirmed to the California Post that this investigation targets three universities, with an emphasis on admissions practices.
Each institution received a letter detailing specific requirements to be met by April 24.
These requests include providing seven years’ worth of applicant data, sharing internal discussions about diversity and admissions, and revealing communications with pharmaceutical companies regarding admissions policies. Following a review, the New York Times reported on these requests.
Requested applicant data encompasses test scores, home zip codes, familial connections to alumni, and links to university donors.
In a separate post, Dhillon referred to the investigation on social media, indicating a proactive stance in civil rights inquiries. She shared a photo of a partially covered letter, expressing enthusiasm about launching these investigations.
The University of California, San Diego has acknowledged the investigation’s commencement, confirming their review of the notification.
Cecilia O. Aradaza, chief communications officer at Stanford University School of Medicine, stated that the university is conducting a review of the letter received from the DOJ.
Ohio State representatives noted compliance with both state and federal regulations and mentioned they would respond appropriately.
Data from the Association of American Medical Colleges indicates that around 99,400 students were enrolled in U.S. medical schools during the 2025-26 academic year, with demographics showing 42% identifying as White, 28% as Asian, and about 8% as Black.
Interestingly, the demographic patterns at the surveyed universities differ. For instance, while California medical schools show a higher percentage of Asian students compared to their white counterparts, Stanford University has about 13% of its medical students identifying as Black, contrasting with approximately 6% at UC San Diego.
Financial implications are considerable, as many of these institutions rely significantly on funding from the National Institutes of Health, which provides around $35 billion annually for research, much of it directed to medical schools.
For instance, Stanford University received around $575 million in NIH grants in 2025, while UC San Diego and Ohio State University received approximately $427 million and $210 million, respectively.
This isn’t the first instance of scrutiny for California’s higher education institutions under the Trump administration. Legal actions have already been initiated against the University of California System, particularly targeting UCLA for failing to safeguard Jewish employees during campus protests in 2024.
Additionally, authorities are looking into a lawsuit concerning UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine, asserting that the school continues to factor in racial discrimination in admissions despite a recent Supreme Court ruling that limits such practices.
This issue isn’t isolated to UCLA; several other public institutions, like Santa Monica College and California State University campuses, are also under federal attention. Private universities, including Chapman University, Pomona College, Stanford University, and the University of Southern California, are included in this broader scrutiny.
