Gender and Racial Disparities among US Psychiatry Residents: A Review of Trends

Abstract

Diversity provides better patient outcomes, reduces physician burnout, and therefore lessens the burden of the healthcare system. In this study, we explore the gender and racial trends in the recruitment of medical graduates into US psychiatry residency programs. Retrospective data analysis was performed utilizing the data from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Data's annual Resource Books from the year 2007 to 2018. Demographic data, including gender and race, were extracted for psychiatry residents. Gender was categorized as Male, Female, and Not Reported. Race/ethnicity was categorized as White (Non-Hispanic), Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black/African-American (Non-Hispanic), Native American/Alaskan, Others (not in the aforementioned categories), and Unknown. Female psychiatry residents relatively decreased by 2.6% whereas male psychiatry residents relatively increased by 15.5% from 2007 to 2018. Between the years 2011 and 2018, there was a relative increase in African American/Black and Native American/Alaskan psychiatry residents by 5.5% and 1%, respectively, whereas the Asian/Pacific Islanders, White (Non-Hispanic), and Hispanic/Latino psychiatry residents relatively decreased by 5.1%, 2.3%, and 1.7%, respectively. Despite the overall increase of women and ethnic minorities in US medical schools, women and racial minorities remain significantly under-represented in psychiatry residency programs in the US.