1 - 3 Despite these observations and numerous initiatives, the percentage of individuals who identify as belonging to racial/ethnic minority groups in medicine has continued to remain below that in the general US population. Reevaluation of current strategies aimed at increasing racial/ethnic representation appear to be necessary to help close the existing gap in medicine and recruit a more racially/ethnically diverse surgical workforce.Ī diverse physician workforce would not only better reflect the increasingly racially/ethnically diverse population of the US but also contribute toward addressing health care disparities, improving patient outcomes and satisfaction, and fostering greater innovation in medicine. Thoracic surgery had the lowest mean percentage of applicants (12.5% 95% CI, 9.46%-15.4%) and otolaryngology the lowest mean percentage of matriculants (8.5% 95% CI, 7.2%-9.9%) underrepresented in medicine.Ĭonclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study, overall US surgical programs had no change in the percentage of applicants or matriculants who self-identified as underrepresented in medicine based on race/ethnicity, but the proportion remained higher than in nonsurgical specialties. Obstetrics and gynecology had the highest mean percentage of applicants (20.2% 95% CI, 19.4%-20.8%) and matriculants (19.0% 95% CI, 18.2%-19.8%) underrepresented in medicine among surgical specialties. Thoracic surgery was the only surgical specialty in which there was a statistically significant change in the percentage of applicants (8.1% vs 14.6% P = .02) or matriculants (0% vs 10.0% P = .01) underrepresented in medicine based on race/ethnicity. There was no statistically significant difference in the percentage of applicants underrepresented in medicine based on race/ethnicity for all surgical specialties combined in 2010 vs 2018 (15.3% vs 17.5% P = .63). A total of 21 369 applicants (15.9%) and 5704 matriculants (13.8%) to surgical specialties identified as underrepresented in medicine. Results The study population consisted of a total of 737 034 applicants and 265 365 matriculants to US residency programs, including 134 158 applicants and 41 347 matriculants to surgical programs. Data were obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Objective To examine trends in the percentage of applicants and matriculants to US surgical specialties who identified as part of a racial/ethnic group underrepresented in medicine from the 2010-2011 to 2018-2019 academic years.ĭesign, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study examined trends in self-reported racial/ethnic identity among applicants and matriculants to US residency programs to evaluate demographic changes among surgical programs from 2010 to 2018. Importance Surgical programs across the US continue to promote and invest in initiatives aimed at improving racial/ethnic diversity, but whether this translates to changes in the percentage of applicants or matriculants from racial/ethnic minority groups remains unclear. Shared Decision Making and Communication.Scientific Discovery and the Future of Medicine.Health Care Economics, Insurance, Payment.Clinical Implications of Basic Neuroscience.Challenges in Clinical Electrocardiography.
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