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All Other Things Being Equal: Exploring Racial and Gender Disparities in Medical School Honor Society Induction
Thilan P Wijesekera1, Margeum Kim, Edward Z Moore
1T.P. Wijesekera is instructor, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. M. Kim is a doctoral student, Yale School of Management, New Haven, Connecticut. E.Z. Moore is associate professor, Department of Engineering, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, Connecticut. O. Sorenson is professor, Yale School of Management, New Haven, Connecticut. D.A. Ross is associate professor, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Racial and gender disparities affect induction into medical honor societies. Black students were less likely to join Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), while women were more likely to join the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS).
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Health Disparities
- Sociology of Medicine
Background:
- Racial and gender disparities persist in the physician workforce.
- Limited research exists on the origins of these disparities within medical honor societies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of race and gender on induction into Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) and Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS).
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study of 11,781 Electronic Residency Application Service applications.
- Logistic regression models adjusted for academic and demographic factors.
- Gender- and race-matched samples used to assess bias.
Main Results:
- Women had higher odds of GHHS induction (OR 1.84, P < .001) but no difference in AOA induction.
- Black medical students had lower odds of AOA induction (OR 0.37, P < .05) but no difference in GHHS induction.
Conclusions:
- Significant group differences exist in AOA and GHHS induction rates.
- These disparities in honor society membership warrant further investigation due to their impact on residency applications and careers.
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