Abstract
Background
According to the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Institute of Medicine,
promoting diversity in the health care workforce is a national priority. The under-representation
of minorities in health care contributes significantly to the problem of health disparities
currently facing racial and ethnic minority groups in the United States (US). Evidence
shows that improved diversity among medical providers contributes to higher satisfaction
for minority patients and better educational experiences for trainees.
Objective
Our aim was to describe the racial and ethnic composition of medical students, Emergency
Medicine residents, and practicing Emergency Medicine Physicians as compared with
other specialties and the US population.
Methods
A cross-sectional analysis of the most recent data available from the Association
of American Medical Colleges and the US Census were used to determine the racial and
ethnic distribution of the US population, medical students, residents, and practicing
physicians. The Association of American Medical Colleges' definition of under-represented
minorities (URMs) for the years studied included individuals of black, Latino, and
Native-American race and ethnicity. Proportions with 95% confidence intervals were
calculated. χ2 analysis was used to compare groups.
Results
URMs comprised 30% of the total US population, yet only 6% of all practicing physicians
and 9% of Emergency Physicians self-identified as URMs. By comparison, 15% of medical
students, 17% of all residents, and 14% of Emergency Medicine residents were URMs
(p < 0.0001).
Conclusions
Emergency Medicine, like other specialties, lacks the racial and ethnic diversity
seen in the US population. Efforts to improve diversity at the resident level are
limited by the number of URM students in medical school, and should include steps
aimed at addressing this issue.
Keywords
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References
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 14, 2013
Accepted:
November 6,
2012
Received in revised form:
May 31,
2012
Received:
February 9,
2012
Identification
Copyright
© 2013 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
