A Diversity 3.0 Update: Are We Moving the Needle Enough?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Equity
• Diversity and Inclusion

Background:

• A prior commentary highlighted the need for diversity and inclusion (D&I) in health reform, shifting focus from a problem to a solution.
• This update assesses progress in integrating D&I into core strategic activities within U.S. medical schools and teaching hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the collective progress of academic medicine in embedding diversity and inclusion into strategic initiatives.
• To identify emerging trends and areas for continued improvement in D&I efforts.

Main Methods:

• Review and assessment of institutional initiatives and national efforts in diversity and inclusion within academic medicine.
• Analysis of trends in the integration of D&I into medical school and teaching hospital strategies.

Main Results:

• Five key trends identified: broader D&I definitions (LGBTQ+, disabilities), elevated leadership roles, holistic applicant evaluation, D&I as a marker of excellence, and focus on subpopulations.
• Progress has been made, but further work is needed to fully integrate D&I into core strategies.

Conclusions:

• Diversity and inclusion are increasingly recognized as essential for excellence in academic medicine.
• Ongoing institutional and national initiatives are building capacity to embed D&I, improving medical education and patient care.