DOJ and allied agencies have accused UC San Diego School of Medicine of racially discriminatory admissions through a shadow application process and purported race-neutral criteria that favored Black and Hispanic applicants over white and Asian applicants. The findings are part of a broader crackdown on race-conscious admissions that also targets UC Davis and other California medical schools. The Education Department separately announced investigations into five medical schools, including East Carolina University, signaling a nationwide effort. The investigations cite the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling and a Trump-era push to curb DEI programs. UC San Diego and UC Davis defend their standards as merit-based and said they will cooperate, while denying illegal discrimination. The outcomes could affect whether federal funding remains available to these schools.