Jewish Congress Urges Safeguards Against Bias in Medical Schools

The American Jewish Congress called on the U.S. Congress today to pass a bill granting Federal aid to medical schools, but urged, at the same time, that such a measure should include safeguards against discrimination because of race, religion or national origin.

In a statement submitted to the Health and Science Subcommittee of the House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce which has been conducting hearings on Federal aid to the country’s medical schools, the American Jewish Congress pointed to the great need for expanded medical school facilities and expressed the hope that the severe shortage of doctors will be alleviated by Federal support of medical education.

“We believe, however,” the statement said, “that such support should not be given without including safeguards against discrimination. The intended beneficiaries are not the medical schools that will receive the funds for construction of medical school facilities, but rather the medical students who will receive the training and the people they will later serve. The government has an obligation to ensure that these beneficiaries are selected on a non-discriminatory basis. If it permits the medical schools receiving Federal funds to do the actual selecting, it must instruct them that in doing so, they make no distinctions based on race, religion or national origin.”