February 10th, 2022: NEJM publishes perspective on racial biology and medical misconceptions
Excerpt: “In 2016, Hoffman et al. documented ongoing racial misconceptions held by medical students and residents. The authors showed a series of statements concerning biologic differences between groups described as “Blacks” and “Whites”… A closer reading of the article, however, reveals the true depth of the challenge: throughout the introduction and discussion, the terms “Black” and “White” are used as if they referred to true biologic entities, not the socially defined groups these terms actually identify.
Therein lies the largest racial misconception still operative in the medical community: socially defined races continue to be viewed as if they are accurate reflections of biologic variation within our species.”