Characterization of applicants for residency training in pathology: Does diversity exist? 2019

Sharri J Mortensen, and Emmanuela J Menard, and Elena B Olson, and Holly C Deng, and Robert Hasserjian, and W Stephen Black-Schaffer, and Trina Pappadia, and David N Louis, and Rosalynn M Nazarian
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address: smortens@bidmc.harvard.edu.

BACKGROUND A diverse workforce has been shown to improve productivity and innovation. The level of diversity among pathology residency applicants has not previously been reported. OBJECTIVE This study aims to characterize the applicants at an academic pathology department to gain a better understanding of diversity among them. METHODS Between 2015 and 2017, data from a tertiary care center were analyzed for gender, US and international medical school, USMLE scores, and self-identified racial or ethnic group. For 2017, data was compared to that published by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). RESULTS There were 1293 pathology applicants with 48-49% being female. The overall underrepresented minority (URM) applicant pool in pathology represented 12.6%, 9.5%, and 11.1% of our applicants for 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. URMs from US medical schools alone represented 4.7%, 3.7%, and 4.5% of our applicants for 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. The percentage of 2017 US medical school graduates applying to any US pathology training program was 22.2% versus 38.7% applying to pathology at our center (p ≤0.001). URM applicants for pathology from US medical schools were significantly lower than URM applicants to all AAMC medical specialties (p = 0.035). Among our pathology applicants in 2017, USMLE I scores and number of applicants with any publications were higher for non-URMs compared to URMs (p = 0.048 and p = 0.046, respectively). CONCLUSIONS No significant difference related to gender was identified among our applicants while racial/ethnic groups remain underrepresented with significantly fewer URM applicants from US medical schools compared to published AAMC data for all medical specialties.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007396 Internship and Residency Programs of EDUCATION, MEDICAL, GRADUATE training to meet the requirements established by accrediting authorities. House Staff,Internship, Dental,Residency, Dental,Residency, Medical,Dental Internship,Dental Internships,Dental Residencies,Dental Residency,Internship,Internship, Medical,Internships, Dental,Medical Residencies,Medical Residency,Residencies, Dental,Residencies, Medical,Residency,Residency and Internship,Internships, Medical,Medical Internship,Medical Internships,Residencies,Staff, House
D008297 Male Males
D008913 Minority Groups A subgroup having special characteristics within a larger group, often bound together by special ties which distinguish it from the larger group. Group, Minority,Groups, Minority,Minority Group
D005006 Ethnicity A group of people with a common cultural heritage that sets them apart from others in a variety of social relationships. Ethnic Groups,Nationality,Ethnic Group,Nationalities
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000072142 Pathologists Physicians who assess changes in cellular or tissue structure and function to diagnose disease processes. Pathologist
D014481 United States A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D018864 Cultural Diversity Coexistence of numerous distinct ethnic, racial, religious, or cultural groups within one social unit, organization, or population. (From American Heritage Dictionary, 2d college ed., 1982, p955) Multiculturalism,Pluralism,Cultural Pluralism,Cultural Diversities,Diversities, Cultural,Diversity, Cultural,Multiculturalisms,Pluralism, Cultural,Pluralisms

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