The Association of American Medical Colleges defines members of populations underrepresented in medicine “relative to their numbers in the general population.” Diversity motivates key clinical and professional educational goals that can be sources of common ground when conflict emerges about which kinds of diversity should matter most and how applicants’ memberships in minoritized groups should be regarded in admissions processes. Diversification and inclusion strategies vary in how effectively they motivate equity or retention among members of different groups in medicine, so how influential they should be is hotly contested and worthy of ethical investigation.
