Attention: Restrictions on use of AUA, AUAER, and UCF content in third party applications, including artificial intelligence technologies, such as large language models and generative AI.
You are prohibited from using or uploading content you accessed through this website into external applications, bots, software, or websites, including those using artificial intelligence technologies and infrastructure, including deep learning, machine learning and large language models and generative AI.

UPJ INSIGHT Gender and Racial Diversity among U.S. Urology Residency Programs and Efforts to Improve it: You Can't Be What You Can't See

By: Charles R. Powell, MD; Anne P. Cameron, MD; Meidee Goh, MD; Chemen Neal, MD; Richard Memo, MD; Kyle A. Richards, MD | Posted on: 01 Oct 2022

Powell CR, Cameron AP, Goh M, Neal C, Memo R, Richards KA. Gender and racial diversity among U.S. urology residency programs and efforts to improve it: you can’t be what you can’t see. Urol Pract. 2022;9(5)466-473.

Study Need and Importance

The United Stated urology workforce lacks ethnic, racial and gender diversity. This lack of diversity may negatively impact the delivery of high-quality urological care across a broad spectrum of demographics. The aim of this study was to assess the landscape of programs that have been created to increase diversity at the institutional level and assess the attitudes and concerns of underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and female students.

What We Found

The response rate for the program directors survey was 43%. Most urology programs offer a wide array of initiatives to increase diversity, with unconscious bias training being the most frequent (78.7%). Programs with no female faculty or no URiM faculty had a very difficult time matching female (see Figure) or URiM medical students over time. The response rate for the medical student survey was 10.5%. A majority of these respondents (79.2%) were unaware of any programs geared toward URiM or female students at their institutions. Match data from 2019 to 2021 revealed that female applicants were more likely to match, but URiM applicants were less likely to match.

Figure. Proportion of female urology faculty compared to female residents over time. All programs having at least 1 female faculty member were able to recruit female residents more effectively than programs with none. Programs with 11%–20% female faculty exhibited significant year-to-year growth from 2017 to 2021 (p <0.05).

Limitations

This study is limited by its design, as the data collected were largely via surveys, which can lead to responder bias. The response rate was low for students and therefore may not be as generalizable. The 2021 Match rates may have been influenced by the virtual interview process and could have had a negative impact on URiM students.

Interpretation for Patient Care

Urology programs are making substantive efforts to improve diversity, but the message may not be reaching its intended audience. Having a diverse faculty does seem to help in recruitment of a diverse group of residents. Organized urology should be leading the way to create a more diverse workforce to match the needs of the changing demographics of the United States.

advertisement

advertisement