Diversifying Graduate Medical Education & the Urology Workforce: Re-imagining our Structures, Policies, Practices,...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Workforce Development
• Health Equity

Background:

• The Urology Match faces challenges in achieving workforce diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.
• Existing structures, policies, and norms may inadvertently create barriers for Under-Represented in Medicine (URM) applicants.
• A critical examination of the current system is necessary to identify areas for improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a framework for critically evaluating the Urology Match.
• To identify leverage points for interventions aimed at improving diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in the urology workforce.
• To guide the development of a more inclusive and equitable selection process.

Main Methods:

• Framework development through critical analysis of existing structures, policies, norms, practices, and values within the Urology Match.
• Identification of key areas for intervention, including application process modification, reviewer optimization, and applicant support.
• Evaluation of selection criteria and applicant experiences, particularly for URM individuals.

Main Results:

• Identified specific points of leverage for transformational change in urology workforce diversification.
• Highlighted the need to modify the application process, optimize reviewer factors, and enhance the URM applicant experience.
• Emphasized the importance of providing resources to applicants and re-evaluating selection criteria.

Conclusions:

• Achieving an inclusive and diverse urology workforce requires systemic changes in policy and practice.
• Expanding norms to value a more varied cohort of applicants is crucial.
• Establishing structures that accommodate true diversity will foster a more equitable future for urology.