To the editor: In his column, “Is UCLA a 'Failed Medical School'? Debunking a silly right-wing meme,” writes Michael Hiltzik:
“It is true that UCLA's entering medical school classes have become more diverse over time. Figures released by UCLA… show that from 2019 to 2022, the number of whites in the 173-member class decreased from 49 to 46, the number of black students increased from 22 to 25, Hispanic students increased from 25 to 37 , an overall “other” category increased from eight to 20, and American Indians, Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders went from zero to three. The number of Asian students decreased from 84 to 55.”
The number of Asian American students decreased by 35%. This decrease is not comparable to that of other groups.
No explanation is given. Does increasing diversity mean reducing a minority race by more than a third? Please note that my statement has nothing to do with quality. It has to do with racial composition.
What does “Asian” mean? India, China, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan? The focus on race is so corrosive, discouraging, and most of all, demoralizing.
Avanidhar Subrahmanyam, Los Angeles
The writer is a professor of finance at UCLA.
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To the editor: What is a good doctor?
I graduated from UCLA medical school in 1981, far from the top of my class. However, my patient satisfaction scores over nearly four decades of practice place me in the higher ranks.
It's not MCAT scores, bookshelves, or medical boards that make a good doctor. What matters are the interpersonal relationships between the doctor and the patient.
Paula Pearlman, MD, Los Angeles
