Dataset Information

Update on workforce diversity in vascular surgery.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Creating a diverse workforce is paramount to the success of the surgical field. A diverse workforce allows us to meet the health needs of an increasingly diverse population and to bring new ideas to spur technical innovation. The purpose of this study was to assess trends in workforce diversity within vascular surgery (VS) and general surgery (GS) as compared with orthopedic surgery (OS)-a specialty that instituted a formal diversity initiative over a decade ago.

Methods

Data on the trainee pool for VS (fellowships and integrated residencies), GS, and OS were obtained from the U.S. Graduate Medical Education reports for 1999 through 2017. Medical student demographic data were obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges U.S. medical school enrollment reports. The representation of surgical trainee populations (female, Hispanic, and black) was normalized by their representation in medical school. We also performed the χ² test to compare proportions of residents over dichotomized time periods (1999-2005 and 2013-2017) as well as a more sensitive trend of proportions test.

Results

The proportion of female trainees increased significantly between the time periods for the three surgical disciplines examined (P < .001). Hispanic trainees also represented an increasing proportion of all three disciplines (P ≤ .001). The proportion of black trainees did not significantly change in any discipline between the two periods. Relative to their proportion in medical school, Hispanic trainees were well represented in all surgical specialties studied (normalized ratio [NR], 0.95-1.52: 0.95 OS, 1.00 GS, 1.53 VS fellowship, and 1.23 VS residency). Compared with their representation in medical school, women were under-represented as surgical trainees (NR: 0.32 OS, 0.82 GS, 0.56 VS fellowship, and 0.78 VS residency) as were black trainees (NR: 0.63 OS, 0.90 GS, 0.99 VS fellowship, and 0.81 VS residency).

Conclusions

Although there were significant increases in the number of women and Hispanic trainees in these three surgical disciplines, only Hispanic trainees enter the surgical field at a rate higher than their proportion in medical school. The lack of an increase in black trainees across all specialties was particularly discouraging. Women and black trainees were under-represented in all specialties as compared with their representation in medical school. The data presented suggest potential problems with recruitment at multiple levels of the pipeline. Particular attention should be paid to increasing the pool of minority medical school graduates who are both interested in and competitive for surgical specialties.

SUBMITTER: Dorsey C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8284902 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundProjecting the demand for plastic surgeons has become increasingly important in a climate of scarce public resource within a single payer health-care system. The goal of this study is to provide a comprehensive workforce update and describe the perceptions of the workforce among Canadian Plastic Surgery residents and surgeons.MethodsTwo questionnaires were developed by a national task force under the Canadian Plastic Surgery Research Collaborative. The surveys were distributed to residents and practicing surgeons, respectively.ResultsTwo-hundred fifteen (49%) surgeons responded, with a mean age of 51.4 years (standard deviation [SD] = 11.5); 78% were male. Thirty-three percent had been in practice for 25 years or longer. More than half of respondents were practicing in a large urban center. Fifty-nine percent believed their group was going to hire in the next 2 to 3 years; however, only 36% believed their health authority/provincial government had the necessary resources. The mean desired age of retirement was 67 years (SD = 6.4). We predict the surgeons-to-population ratio to be 1.55:100?000 and the graduate-to-retiree ratio to be 2.16:1 within the next 5 to 10 years. Seventy-seven (49%) residents responded. Most were "very satisfied" with their training (61%) and operative experience (90%). Eighty-nine percent of respondents planned to pursue addqitional training after residency, with 70% stating that the current job market was contributing to their decision. Most residents responded that they were concerned with the current job market.ConclusionsThe results of this study predict an adequate number of plastic surgeons will be trained within the next 10 years to suit the population's requirements; however, there is concern that newly trained surgeons will not have access to the necessary resources to meet growing demands. Furthermore, there is an evident shortage of those practicing in rural areas. Many trainees worry about the availability of jobs, despite evidence of active recruitment. The workforce may benefit from structured career mentorship in residency and improved transparency in hiring practices, particularly to attract young surgeons to smaller communities. It may also benefit from a coordinated national approach to recruitment and succession planning.