University of Minnesota Medical School students required to pledge to fight 'colonialism' and 'the gender binary'

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Want to become a doctor? Be prepared to take an oath honoring the “indigenous ways of healing,” rather than medical science.

Medical students attending the University of Minnesota are now required to take a pledge to “honor all Indigenous ways of healing that have been historically marginalized by Western medicine,” and join the social justice crusade against “‘white supremacy, colonialism, [and] the gender binary.”

As detailed by investigative journalist Christopher Rufo, the program at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Medical School released an oath for students graduating in the class of 2026. 

The document first begins with a land acknowledgment requiring students to recognize that the school is located on Dakota land. "Today, many Indigenous people from throughout the state, including Dakota, and Ojibwe (ooh-jib-way), called the Twin Cities home; we also recognize this acknowledgment is not enough.” 

“We commit to uprooting the legacy and perpetuation of structural violence deeply embedded in the healthcare system,” the pledge continues. 

We recognize inequities built by past and present traumas rooted in white supremacy, colonialism, the gender binary, ableism, and all forms of oppression,” it says. “As we enter this profession with opportunities for growth, we commit to promoting a culture of anti-racism, listening, and amplifying voices for positive change. We pledge to honor all Indigenous ways of healing that have been historically marginalized by Western medicine. Knowing that health is intimately connected to our environment, we commit to healing our planet and communities.

We vow to embrace our role as community members and strive to embody cultural humility.” The oath adds, “we promise to continue restoring trust in the medical system and fulfilling our responsibility as educators and advocates. We commit to collaborating with social, political, and additional systems to advance health equity. We will learn from the scientific innovations made before us and pledge to advance and share this knowledge with peers and neighbors. We recognize the importance of being in community with and advocating for those we serve.

Rufo reports that the program includes a Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Ana Núñez who specializes in “gender medicine.”

Here's the program from University of Minnesota's white coat ceremony for the incoming class. You'll notice that the closing is from the "Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" Ana Núñez who—wait for it—specializes in "gender medicine." pic.twitter.com/jwibk6KTiD

— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) October 9, 2022

“It's past time for reasonable doctors to stand up and denounce this poison. Western medical science and shamanic healing are not equally valid cancer treatments. “Gender medicine” that results in mastectomies for girls and penectomies for boys is a barbaric violation of ethics, wrote Rufo. 

“The irony is that these DEI champions, who imagine themselves the vanguard of global ‘diversity,’ are the most parochial people imaginable. I've traveled in Africa, Asia, and LatAm, and they aren't clamoring for ‘Indigenous ways of healing.’ They want antibiotics and CT machines,” he added. “When I was in my early 20s, I made a PBS documentary in Mongolia, rode horseback for three days into the taiga, and spent time with a traditional shaman. It's a beautiful mode of expression. But if I had cancer, I'd rather go to the Mayo Clinic.”