Diversity in Academic Laryngology: An Evaluation of Academic Advancement and Research Productivity

Abstract

Background: Diversity within the medical profession with respect to sex and racial minorities has been shown to have a positive effect on health and healthcare. Characterization of a field is key to evaluating trends and the advancement of diversity in an otolaryngology subspecialty.Study Design: Observational study. Methods: A comprehensive list of all the academic laryngologists was compiled from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited otolaryngology residency programs in 2020. The last 20 past presidents of the American Laryngological Association (ALA) and American Broncho-Esophogological Association (ABEA) were analyzed. Academic rank and years in practice were determined from departmental websites, with online search tools used as secondary resources. The h-index was utilized as a measure of research productivity. Regression analysis was performed to analyze these variables.Results: There are 184 academic laryngologists in the 124 programs. The majority of the population is Caucasian 76.6% (141/184), followed by Asian 16.3% (30/184), African American 4.34% (8/184), and then Hispanic 1% (2/184). There are 47 full professors with 83% Caucasian, 14.1% Asian, and 2.1% African American and 91.5% male and only 8.5% female. Past ALA presidents were 90% male and for the ABEA 75% male. H-index revealed a statistically significant difference between Caucasian and African American colleagues [P value (<.0005)].Conclusions: Minorities are disproportionately underrepresented in laryngology. Women are less likely to be in leadership roles in laryngology and become full professors. Laryngology lags behind other surgical specialties in the representation of minorities and women. Continued efforts should be made to increase diversity in the field of laryngology, especially in regard to underrepresented minorities.

How Do Academic Medicine Pathways Differ for Underrepresented Trainees and Physicians? A Critical Scoping Review

“…• Attrition from medical school 61,64 • Lower acceptance rates into residency 7,10,57 • Attrition from residency programs and fellowships 13,14 • Lower proportions of URiM faculty receiving tenure track positions [47][48][49] • Lower rates of promotion [15][16][17][18]50 • Fewer URiM chairs and deans 119 Across medical specialties, URiM trainees and faculty are less likely to get accepted into training programs, to be hired into tenure positions, to be promoted, and to hold chair or dean positions. [7][8][9][10][11][12][120][121][122][123][124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131] Chilly climate An environment in which discrimination, both subtle and overt, creates a hostile work environment and unequal treatment of different groups…”

“…Conceptual Groupings Identified in the Scoping Review Within the Leaky Pipeline[119][120][121][122][123][124][125][126][127][128][129][130][131] …”

Leadership of Black Women Faculty in Otolaryngology—More than A Rounding Error

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We commend The Laryngoscope for promoting scholarship around diversity, equity, and inclusion in otolaryngologyhead and neck surgery. [1][2][3][4][5][6] We read with interest the article by Uppal and colleagues on otolaryngology departmental and societal leadership. 7 The authors found that otolaryngology has an underrepresentation of women and specific ethnic-racial group leadership, underscoring the importance of recognizing underrepresented women leaders in medicine.

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