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Mentoring Underrepresented Minority Physician-Scientists to Success
Adina Kalet1, Anne M Libby2, Reshma Jagsi3
1A. Kalet is professor and Stephen and Shelagh Roell Endowed Chair, Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Institute for the Transformation of Medical Education, Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin; ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4855-0223 .
Addressing challenges faced by underrepresented minority (URM) physician-scientists is crucial for retention. Key issues include bias, financial disparities, and the minority tax, requiring institutional solutions for equitable success.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Health Equity
- Academic Medicine
Background:
- Physician-scientists from underrepresented minority (URM) backgrounds face unique challenges impacting retention in academic medicine.
- The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists program targets retention, particularly for URM faculty experiencing family caregiving needs.
- URM faculty, especially women, disproportionately experience hardships that can lead them to leave scientific careers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and address key challenges hindering the success and retention of underrepresented minority (URM) physician-scientists.
- To develop recommendations for academic medical centers to foster an equitable environment for URM physician-scientists.
- To inform institutional strategies for proactive allyship and the removal of structural barriers.
Main Methods:
- Focused literature reviews to identify retention challenges.
- Institutional environmental scans to assess current practices.
- Structured discussions with program directors, staff, and participants to gather insights.
Main Results:
- Key issues identified include bias, discrimination, personal wealth gaps, the "minority tax" (service burdens), lack of mentorship training, intersectionality, isolation, and stereotype concerns.
- Institutional-level factors significantly impact the retention of URM physician-scientists.
- Program directors highlighted specific concerns affecting URM physician-scientists.
Conclusions:
- Academic institutions must implement proactive strategies to support URM physician-scientists.
- Recommendations include bias training, financial support, fair compensation for service, leadership program support, and policy changes.
- Creating an equitable environment is essential for the thriving and retention of URM physician-scientists.
