Advancing Diversity and Inclusion: An Organized Approach Through a Medical Specialty Academy

Abstract

Background: The benefits of a diverse workforce in medicine have been previously described. While the population of the United States has become increasingly diverse, this has not occurred in the physician workforce. In academic medicine, underrepresented in medicine (URiM) faculty are less likely to be promoted or retained in academic institutions. Studies suggest that mentorship and engagement increase the likelihood of development, retention, and promotion. However, it is not clear what form of mentorship creates these changes. The Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine (ADIEM), an academy within the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, is a group focused on advancing diversity and inclusion as well as promoting the development of its URiM students, residents, and faculty. The Academy serves many of the functions of a mentoring program. We assessed whether active involvement in ADIEM led to increased publications, promotion, or leadership advancement in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Methods:We performed a survey of ADIEM members to determine if career development and productivity, defined as written scholarly products, presentations, and mentorship in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion was enhanced by the establishment of the academy. To determine whether there were significant changes in academic accomplishments after the formation of ADIEM, two groups, ADIEM leaders and ADIEM nonleader members, were examined.Results: Thirteen ADIEM leaders and 14 ADIEM nonleader members completed the survey. Academic productivity in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion increased significantly among ADIEM leaders when compared to ADIEM nonleader members after the founding of ADIEM. In particular, in the ADIEM leader group, there were significant increases in manuscript publications (1.31 AE 1.6 to 5.5 AE 7.96, p = 0.12), didactic presentations (3.85 AE 7.36 to 23.46 AE 44.52, p < 0.01), grand rounds presentations (0.83 AE 1.75 to 8.6 AE 10.71, p < 0.05), and student/resident mentees (6.46 AE 9.36 to 25 AE 30.41, p = 0.02). Conclusion:The formation of a specialized academy within a national medical society has advanced academic accomplishments in diversity, equity, and inclusion in emergency medicine among ADIEM leadership. Involvement From the of URiM and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender faculty in the academy fostered faculty development, mentoring, and educational scholarship.

Systemic Barriers to Risk-Reducing Interventions for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes: Implications for Health Care Inequities

“…Research shows that patientprovider racial or ethnic concordance can improve patient-provider communication and increase patient health care engagement, 94,95 highlighting the importance of ongoing interventions to increase research and medical workforce diversity and the need to increase patientprovider racial or ethnic concordance in genetics care. [96][97][98][99] Additional interventions might include (1) specialized case managers to streamline care and address patient questions, a model that has been successful in the diagnostic pathway, 100 and (2) leveraging celebrity hereditary cancer syndrome diagnosis disclosure, which has correlated with enhanced genetic testing usage and genetics knowledge seeking in the past, to create accessible and relatable interventions aimed at reducing stigma and increasing information access for lower health literacy populations.…”

Physician Pipeline and Pathway Programs: An Evidence-based Guide to Best Practices for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine

“…Most PPs aim to support and facilitate educational and healthcare career advancement for UIM racial and ethnic groups. 1 9 , 27 , 30 , 31 , 35 , 38 , 41 , 47 – 50 , 52 , 56 – 58 , 60 , 66 , 67 Few programs share their participant selection criteria in detail and rarely state race/ethnicity criteria. 30 Commonly, programs used proxy criteria for race/ethnicity including being from educationally/economically disadvantaged backgrounds.…”

“… 8 Within emergency medicine (EM), women account for only 25% of physicians, while Black, LatinX, and Native American physicians comprise less than 10% of all active emergency physicians. 9 Furthermore, a recent study projects that EM will take about 54 years to reach the level of LatinX faculty representation commensurate with that of the US population. 8 …”

“…8 Within emergency medicine (EM), women account for only 25% of physicians, while Black, LatinX, and Native American physicians comprise less than 10% of all active emergency physicians. 9 Furthermore, a 1 *The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) defined the term underrepresented minority (URM) to reflect the racial groups of Black, Mexican American, mainland Puerto Rican, and Native American (American Indian and natives of Alaska and Hawaii). In 2003, to encompass the racial and ethnic populations within medicine who are underrepresented when compared to their respective numbers in the context of the greater population, this was further clarified to "underrepresented in medicine"(URiM or UIM).…”

Western Journal of Emergency Medicine

“…73 Similarly, a survey of members in the Academy for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine within the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine found that participation led to more publications, didactic presentations, grand round presentations, and mentor/mentee relationships. 74 The Association of Black Cardiologists aims to promote diversity, boost collegiality in the field, and promote health disparities research and interventions. Through its scholarships, this group was able to partially fund cardiology subspecialty training for 44 Black cardiologists.…”