The role social justice advocacy should play in medicine will be examined by Sally Satel, a practicing psychiatrist and lecturer at Yale University School of Medicine, in her talk, “Medicine in the Age of Social Justice Activism.” The talk, sponsored by the Program on Freedom and Free Societies (F&FS), is free and open to the general public. It will also be livestreamed; to participate online register at

https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pk_zV51lT5K-YRZrZGpteQ#/registration.

A resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), Satel studies mental health policy and political trends in medicine. Medical training, Satel said, is undergoing a worrisome experiment as it adopts social justice as a primary goal and encourages doctors to take on advocacy roles. She offers as examples the Association of American Medical Colleges’ announcement after the George Floyd tragedy that the nation's medical schools “must employ anti-racist and unconscious bias training and engage in interracial dialogues,” the AMA’s “Organizational Strategic Plan to Embed Racial Justice and Advance Health Equity,” and the Journal of the American Medical Association commitment to “a heightened and appropriate emphasis on equity and publication of information that addresses structural racism with the goal of overcoming its effects in medicine and health care.”

In her talk, Satel will discuss the manifestations of this new imperative and its historical roots. She will also consider the potential harm of this approach to patients, future doctors, and public trust in her profession. Finally, she will suggest more effective ways for doctors to improve the health of patients who suffer the most in our society.