Michigan Ophthalmology Pipeline: Exploring a Mentorship Model to Increase Diversity in Ophthalmology

Shaner, Mason A.; Kaplan, Ahmet; Sesi, Christopher; Manjunathan, Abhishek; Lacy, Gabrielle D.; Prisk, Lauren; Crear, Jara; Sugar, Alan; Elam, Angela R.

doi:10.1055/s-0039-3402074

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Some departments have also developed programs to recruit URM medical students to ophthalmology. Examples are the Kellogg Eye Center's Health Equity Ophthalmology Summer Program, the Michigan Ophthalmology Pipeline Program, 69 and the Wilmer Eye Institute's Diversity Scholars Program in Ophthalmology, which offers mentoring opportunities for early-year medical students.…”

Section: Increasing Workforce Diversity: Current Programsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Diversity in the Ophthalmology Workforce

Woreta¹,

Gordon²,

Knight³

et al. 2022

Ophthalmology

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Section: Increasing Workforce Diversity: Current Programsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enhancing Diversity in the Ophthalmology Workforce

Woreta¹,

Gordon²,

Knight³

et al. 2022

Ophthalmology

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“…23,24 Ophthalmology departments have also established similar programs for medical students. 25,26 While there are pathway programs to encourage URiM medical students in applying for ophthalmology residencies, there has been a dearth of programs for ophthalmology residents, fellows, and early career faculty in academia. In the past year, there has been an expansion of these programs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring program sponsored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology and the National Medical Association’s Rabb-Venable Excellence in Ophthalmology Research Program provide a range of opportunities to medical students with URiM status to pursue an ophthalmology residency . Ophthalmology departments have also established similar programs for medical students …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex and Racial and Ethnic Diversity Among Ophthalmology Subspecialty Fellowship Applicants

Ali,

Menard,

Zafar

et al. 2023

JAMA Ophthalmol

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ImportancePhysician-patient concordance in sex and race is associated with improved patient outcomes. Studies have explored diversity among ophthalmology residents and faculty, but to our knowledge, not among ophthalmology fellows.ObjectiveTo assess diversity by sex and race and ethnicity among fellowship applicants in ophthalmology subspecialties and compare match rates by applicants’ sex and underrepresented in medicine (URiM) status.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThis cohort study examined ophthalmology subspecialty fellowship data from the 2021 San Francisco Match.Main Outcomes and MeasuresApplicant characteristics were stratified by sex and URiM status and compared using χ2, Mann-Whitney U, and median tests. For applicants who matched, the percentages of female and URiM applicants were compared among the ophthalmic subspecialties. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess the association of applicant characteristics with their match outcomes.ResultsIncluded in the sample were 537 candidates who applied for an ophthalmology fellowship using the 2021 San Francisco Match; 224 applicants (42.6%) were female, and 60 applicants (12.9%) had URiM status. Females and males had similar match rates (70.5% [n = 158] and 69.2% [n = 209], respectively; P = .74), but females had a higher median (IQR) US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 2 Clinical Knowledge (CK) score (248 [240-258] vs 245 [234-254]; P = .01). The pediatric ophthalmology subspecialty had the highest percentage of female matched applicants (67.5%; 27 of 40 matched applicants), while the retina subspecialty had the highest percentage of males (68.9%; 84 of 122 matched applicants). URiM applicants had lower match rates (55.0%, n = 33) than non-URiM applicants (72.2%, n = 293; P = .007). The URiM applicants had lower median (IQR) scores on the USMLE Step 1 (238 [227-247]) compared with Asian applicants (246 [235-254]) and White applicants (243 [231-252]; P = .04). Additionally, URIM applicants submitted fewer median (IQR) applications (10 [1-23]) than Asian (21 [8-37]) and White (17 [8-32]; P = .001) applicants and completed fewer interviews (median [IQR], 2 [0-11]) than Asian (median [IQR], 12 [3-18]) and White applicants (median [IQR], 8 [1-14]; P = .001). Among matched fellows in each subspecialty, URiM applicants comprised 13.9% (n = 11) in glaucoma, 10% (n = 4) in pediatric ophthalmology, 7.3% (n = 6) in cornea, and 6.6% (n = 8) in retina.Conclusions and RelevanceOphthalmology subspecialty fellowship match rates were lower for URiM vs non-URiM applicants in 2021. Underrepresentation of females exists in the retina subspecialty, while racial and ethnic differences exist in all ophthalmology subspecialty fellowships examined. Monitoring trends in fellowship diversity over time should help inform where targeted efforts could improve diversity.

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“…Recent initiatives, such as the Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring (MOM) Program and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative by the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, provide mentorship as well as hands-on experience for first-year medical students who are URM. 33 The MOM program is new with the inaugural class of students in 2018 but seems promising given participant feedback and the extent of topics covered in the program. 34 Another initiative is the Rabb-Venable Excellence in Ophthalmology Program, which was started in 2000.…”

Section: Next Stepsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Race and Gender in Ophthalmology: A National Analysis of Medical Students with Intention to Pursue the Field

Chhoa

Jawiche

Uppal

et al. 2023

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

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Purpose The field of ophthalmology must become more reflective of the increasingly diverse U.S. population. This study characterizes students intending to pursue ophthalmology and practice in an underserved area versus other surgical and nonsurgical fields. Subjects Deidentified responses from 92,080 U.S. MD students who matriculated in the academic years beginning from 2007 to 2011 were obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Graduation Questionnaires. Methods Study participants were those who fully completed the AAMC Graduation Questionnaire. Chi-squared and multivariate logistical regressions were used for analyses. Results Ophthalmology intending graduates (OIG; n = 1,177) compared with other surgical intending graduates (n = 7,955) were more likely to be female (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28–1.66), Asian (1.71 [1.46–2.01]), and have conducted a research project with a faculty member (1.58 [1.26–1.98]). OIG compared with nonsurgery intending graduates (n = 35,865) were more likely to have completed a research project with a faculty member (4.78 [3.86–5.92]), to be Asian (1.4 [1.21–1.62]), and have received scholarships (1.18 [1.04–1.34]). OIG were less likely to be female (0.64 [0.57–0.73]) and Black/African American (0.5 [0.33–0.74]). Among OIG, Black/African American students and multiracial students were more likely than non-Hispanic (NH) White students to report intention to practice in underserved areas (IPUA; 14.29 [1.82–111.88] and 2.5 [1.06–5.92]), respectively. OIG with global health experience were more likely to report IPUA (1.64 [1.2–2.25]). Conclusion Females and underrepresented in medicine (URM), respectively, were more likely to be nonsurgery intending graduates than OIG, which, if not addressed, may lead to a persistent underrepresentation of these groups in the field. In addition, URM students, including African American students, were more likely to report IPUA, which further emphasizes the importance of more URM students entering the field to address these growing gaps in medical care. Finally, we recommend increased mentorship to help address these disparities.

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Michigan Ophthalmology Pipeline: Exploring a Mentorship Model to Increase Diversity in Ophthalmology

Cited by 6 publications

References 9 publications

Enhancing Diversity in the Ophthalmology Workforce

Enhancing Diversity in the Ophthalmology Workforce

Sex and Racial and Ethnic Diversity Among Ophthalmology Subspecialty Fellowship Applicants

Race and Gender in Ophthalmology: A National Analysis of Medical Students with Intention to Pursue the Field

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