Underrepresented in Surgery: (Lack of) Diversity in Academic Surgery Faculty

A call to increase diversity among academic surgery faculty (ASF) was made in 2008, after recognizing the lack of surgeons considered underrepresented in medicine (URM). We aimed to quantify and assess trends among URM ASF in the interval since that call to action.

Publicly available data on ASF were reviewed. We calculated the percentage of ASF in 2018 by URM group, then stratified by academic rank of assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor. We compared 2005-2018 ASF of Hispanic or Latino (HL) and African American (AA) background; 2005 data were unavailable for other URM groups.

In 2018, URM surgeons accounted for 7.06% (n = 1013/14,340) of ASF (AA: n = 492, 3.43%; HL: n = 485, 3.38%; American Indian or Alaskan Native: n = 23, 0.16%; and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: n = 13, 0.09%). When comparing 2005-2018, AA ASF remained stable across ranks (total: n = 298, 3.12% versus n = 492, 3.43%; P = 0.09), whereas HL ASF decreased across ranks (total: n = 415, 4.35% versus n = 485, 3.38%; P = 0.00007).

Surgeons from URM backgrounds account for 7% of ASF. No increase in AA and a decrease in HL ASF occurred from 2005 to 2018. There is a paucity of data for other URM groups. Active strategies to increase diversity and inclusion in academic surgery are necessary.