Diversity by Design

Can a Strategic Pipeline Initiative Increase the Number of Women and Underrepresented Minorities in Orthopaedic Surgery?

“…One study states that the inability of the overall health profession to keep pace with the US population is a greater contributor to health disparities than access to care [ 5 ]. Regarding specialty fields of medicine, the lack of physician workforce diversity for all specialties is well documented in the literature [ 3 , 10 ]. Orthopaedic surgery, in particular, is among the least diverse specialties for underrepresented minorities (eg, with only 3% of US orthopaedic surgeons of African American descent) and is the least diverse for women with females accounting for only 5% of all practicing orthopaedic surgeons while composing nearly 50% of the total population [ 3 ].…”

Lessons From COVID-19: Addressing Health Equity in Cancer Care

“…Program directors and search committees should create comprehensive and intentional strategies to successfully recruit diverse candidates. 31 As leaders of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Committee for Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, we serve an organization that lists diversity and inclusion as core values and oversees programs to enhance workforce diversity. 32 ASTRO-sponsored programs include the Minority Summer Fellowship designed to provide funded research experiences for medical students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine; the Aspiring Scientists and Physicians Program, which exposes medical and prehealth students interested in radiation oncology to workshops and professional experiences at the annual meeting; and the Leadership Pipeline Program, which develops future ASTRO leaders with an interest in diversity, inclusion, and health equity.…”

“…Program directors and search committees should create comprehensive and intentional strategies to successfully recruit diverse candidates. 31 …”

Board Certified Family Physician Workforce: Progress in Racial and Ethnic Diversity

“…1 Physicians from underrepresented minority populations are more likely than white physicians to practice primary care in impoverished areas and in regions experiencing physician shortages 2 ; however, a significant gap exists between the racial and ethnic composition of the general population and primary care physicians, family medicine faculty, and family medicine residents. [2][3][4] Diversification of the physician workforce has been a goal of Association of American Medical Colleges for several years 4 and could improve access to primary care for underserved populations and address health disparities. 5 Our objectives were to assess how well the racial and ethnic composition of American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) diplomates (a proxy for the family medicine work-force) mirrors the national population and to determine trends by year of initial certification.…”