The use of biological race in medicine is an unchallenged, outdated norm throughout clinical education, research, and practice. 

Medicine largely frames racial health disparities in terms of biological difference and individual behavior, despite evidence that social and structural factors generate and perpetuate most health issues. 

As a result, medicine fails to address racism and its health consequences. This is bad and irresponsible science. 

Racism—a structure and ideology that oppresses and limits resources to minority groups—is rarely discussed in clinical health and the health sciences as a meaningful determinant of health outcomes. Thus, racial health disparities are often wrongly attributed to biology and physiology of racial groups rather than the stratified socioeconomic opportunities that are available. 

As medical students and graduate student researchers, we witness these harms every day in our textbooks, classrooms, clinics, and communities. We envision a world where the social construct of race is not conflated with biology and the health consequences of racism are acknowledged, addressed, and cared for in all their forms.