Abstract
PurposeAcademic healthcare workforce diversity is important in addressing health disparities. Our goal was to evaluate trends and associations in faculty diversity of United States (US) medical schools over a five-year period.MethodsWe analyzed the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Faculty Roster data of 151 US medical schools from 2014-2018. Outcome faculty variables were female gender, underrepresented in medicine (UiM), age, and professorial representation. Predictor variables included geographical distributions, and institutional characteristics. Statistical analysis included Jonckheere-Terpstra test, ANOVA, and regression analysis.ResultsFemale faculty increased from 37.6% to 40.4% (p<0.001), senior faculty (age >60 years) from 22.6% to 25.9% (p=0.001) while UiM faculty stayed relatively flat from 9.74% to 10.08% (p=0.773). UiM [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.39, p=0.015], and female faculty (aOR=0.3, p=0.001) had independently significantly decreased associations with professorial representation, while senior faculty had increased associations (aOR=3.82, p<0.001). Significant independent differences occurred in female, UiM, and professorial faculty distributions within US regions; Hispanic faculty were highest in Southwest (6.57%) and lowest in Midwest region (1.59%), while African-American faculty were highest in Southeast (8.15%) but lowest in the West (3.12%). UiM faculty had significantly independent decreased associations with MD/PhD degree (aOR=0.30, p=0.004) and higher US ranking institutions (aOR=0.45, p=0.009).ConclusionsFrom 2014 to 2018, female faculty increased modestly while the UiM faculty trend remained flat. Female and UiM faculty were less represented at the professor level. UiM faculty were less represented in higher-ranking institutions. Geographic location is associated with faculty diversity.
Highlights
The importance of diversity in the United States (US) healthcare workforce in reducing health disparities is well recognized [1,2,3]
Female faculty increased from 37.6% to 40.4% (p
Significant independent differences occurred in female, UiM, and professorial faculty distributions within US regions; Hispanic faculty were highest in Southwest (6.57%) and lowest in Midwest region (1.59%), while African-American faculty were highest in Southeast (8.15%) but lowest in the West (3.12%)
Summary
The importance of diversity in the United States (US) healthcare workforce in reducing health disparities is well recognized [1,2,3]. The Diversity 3.0 initiative proposed in 2010 by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) emphasizes that diversity and inclusion in academic medicine are important factors for addressing health disparities in the US [4]. A diverse academic faculty serves as important role models for learners and facilitates the training of diverse physicians who are more likely to practice in underserved and disadvantaged communities [1]. Academic faculty diversity further promotes innovative biomedical, and community-based participatory research that can address disparities in health access and outcomes of marginalized communities [1]. Faculty who are historically underrepresented in medicine (UiM) include those who self-identify their race/ethnicity to include Black or African-American, Hispanic, or Latino, Alaskan Native, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Island (OPI) populations [5].
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