Promoting Diversity in Emergency Medicine: Summary Recommendations from the 2008 Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) Academic Assembly Diversity Workgroup

Abstract

Although the U.S. population continues to become more diverse, ethnic and racial health care disparities persist. The benefits of a diverse medical workforce have been well described, but the percentage of emergency medicine (EM) residents from underrepresented groups (URGs) is small and has not significantly increased over the past 10 years. The Council of Emergency Medicine Resident Directors (CORD) requested that a panel of CORD members review the current state of ethnic and racial diversity in EM training programs. The objective of the discussion was to develop strategies to help EM residency programs examine and improve diversity in their respective institutions. Specific recommendations focus on URG applicant selection and recruitment strategies, cultural competence curriculum development, involvement of URG faculty, and the availability of institutional and national resources to improve and maintain diversity in EM training programs.