Characterization of National Medical Societies’ Accessible Resources to Support Underrepresented Minority and Female Trainees

Abstract

The lack of racial, ethnic, and gender diversity in medicine has been recognized as problematic, but the question of what medical educators and societies are doing to rectify and promote representation of historically marginalized groups persists. To examine what easily accessible resources are offered by medical and surgical societies to support women and individuals in minority groups that are underrepresented in medicine (URiM). This cross-sectional study evaluated transparent and accessible resources on the webpages of societies recognized by the Council of Medical Specialty Societies. Data collection and analysis were performed from September 1, 2021, to November 1, 2021. The society websites were searched for official diversity statements, diversity and women task forces or committees, and mentorship and scholarship opportunities for URiM and female trainees. The primary outcome was accessible resources in the form of financial support (scholarships) and mentorship for URiM and female trainees. Of the 45 societies included in the analysis, 38 (84.4%) have published diversity statements. All but 6 societies (86.7%) have a dedicated diversity task force, committee, or work group. Twenty societies (44.4%) have a committee specifically for women or include women in diversity task force initiatives. Seventeen societies (37.8%) offer minority-specific mentorship, 15 (33.3%) offer scholarships targeted toward URiM trainees, 10 (22.2%) provide gender-specific mentorship, and 8 (17.8%) offer scholarship opportunities for female trainees. Although most of the societies included in this study acknowledge the importance of diversity in medicine, less than half of these societies offer readily accessible scholarships or mentorship opportunities to URiM and female applicants.