Medical school admissions have recently become a topic of controversy. Diversity and inclusion have become political catchwords, and certain forms of affirmative action have been ruled illegal by the US Supreme Court. What is this all about? Many would say it is about fairness, but what is fair is viewed differently by different people. Much of the discussion about fairness centers on who gets into college or graduate programs such as medicine. It is as if the admission is a prize to be awarded to the most deserving, but what are the metrics? Is it high school or college grades, or SAT or MCAT scores, or something else? Whereas much of the discussion has centered around affirmative action to correct past wrongs resulting in racial imbalance, I want you to think about another outcome – not simply who should get into medical school (the prize), but who should be a doctor (the mission). What do patients want in a doctor, and what does society need in doctors?