The Reevaluation of AS2A: Updating the Outdated

Medical schools across the country are reconsidering the place of Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society (ASIA) as evidence of disparities in membership selec-tion continues to mount. Although ASIA national leader-ship responded to backlash with a reaffirmation of their motto "Be Worthy to Serve the Suffering," and their com-mitment to diversity, little meaningful progress has been made to this end. By continuing as an organization based on exclusivity, ASIA is an outdated institution that con-tributes to the structural racism observed in multiple domains of medical education. As we continue to move away from elements of medical education that perpetu-ate these inequities (e.g., USMLE Step 1 and USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills Examinations), the place of ASIA in medi-cal education must be re-examined.Several leaders in diversity and inclusion have led the charge by suspending ASIA participation at their institu-tions (at least 16 U.S. medical schools) and this trend should continue without drastic changes to ASIA. Rather than pushing responsibility to individual chapters, ASIA national leadership must make significant changes to national selection criteria in order to provide appropri-ate oversight. We propose that ASIA leadership: (1) con-vene a national task force to review current selection criteria and make actionable recommendations, (2) incorporate standardized diversity goals into selection criteria to hold chapters accountable and limit internal bias, and 3) report diversity and inclusivity statistics annually to the public to promote organizational accountability. Ultimately, meaningful action is neces-sary for ASIA to remain an honor and to support the development of inclusive leaders in medicine. ( J Surg Ed 79:1320-1323.(c) 2022 Association of Program Direc-tors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)