An Approach to Faculty Development for Underrepresented Minorities in Medicine

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Equity
• Academic Medicine

Background:

• The US physician workforce and academic medicine faculty lack diversity, with underrepresented in medicine (URM) physicians comprising only 6.8% of medical school faculty.
• Significant disparities persist in academic medicine, hindering the advancement of URM physicians.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a pilot "for URM by URM" faculty development program for junior URM Family Medicine physicians.
• To address the unique challenges faced by URM faculty in academic medicine, focusing on writing and career advancement.

Main Methods:

• A year-long fellowship was established for junior URM academic clinician faculty.
• The fellowship included virtual conferences and an in-person workshop focused on writing and career development.
• Content covered project development, manuscript writing, and addressing issues like the "minority tax" and imposter syndrome.

Main Results:

• Key themes identified included managing the "minority tax," leveraging individual passion for success, and overcoming imposter syndrome.
• The program facilitated spontaneous mentorship and manuscript collaboration among participants.
• Participants gained skills and strategies for scholarly writing and career progression.

Conclusions:

• A "for URM by URM" faculty development model can effectively support junior URM Family Medicine physicians.
• This approach, utilizing mentors' lived experiences and creating a psychologically safe space, addresses overlooked concerns in traditional faculty development.
• The program promotes writing skills and scholarship, crucial for advancing URM faculty in academic medicine.