A positive correlation of leadership, faculty, and fellow gender and racial diversity in US academic hand surgery

Abstract

Gender and racial disparities remain prevalent in academic surgery. Moreover, reports on racial distributions are scarce. We aim to assess the state of diversity among faculty and fellowship trainees in academic hand surgery and identify if program faculty diversity correlates with trainee diversity. Working from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) fellowship list, a database of 84 hand fellowship programs, 622 faculty, and 582 recently graduated fellows was created. ASSH and American Association for Hand Surgery (AAHS) membership databases and clinical and research websites were accessed to determine gender, race (white or person of color [POC]), and practice and training details, for each faculty and fellow. Women comprise 17% of the faculty cohort and 25% of fellows. Gender disparity was similar between orthopedic surgery-trained and plastic surgery-trained faculty and fellows. Women represented 24% assistant, 16% associate, and 9% full professor faculty positions (p=0.002). White race was assigned to 75% and 71% of faculty and fellows, respectively. POC accounted for 28%, 27%, and 21% of assistant, associate, and professor positions, respectively (p>0.05). Female and POC leadership correlated with significantly more female and POC faculty/fellows, respectively. Relative to medical school and academic medicine, females and racial minorities are under-represented in academic hand surgery, especially with higher academic rank and in leadership positions. Diversity in leadership and related allyship may be an important strategy for increasing diversity at all levels. • Programs having a female or person of color chair correlates with gender and racial diversity. • Women and racial minorities are under-represented in academic hand surgery. • Gender and racial is lacking with higher academic rank and in leadership positions. • Diversity in leadership may be an important strategy for increasing diversity at all levels.