And Miles to Go Before We Sleep: EAST Diversity and Inclusivity Progress and Remaining Challenges.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Specialties
• Health Equity

Background:

• The Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) conducted the #EAST4ALL survey in 2019 to assess equity and inclusion.
• The study hypothesized underrepresentation of women and surgeons of color (SOC) in EAST membership and leadership positions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) landscape within academic trauma surgery.
• To evaluate the representation of women and SOC in leadership roles within the EAST organization.

Main Methods:

• Post-hoc analysis of #EAST4ALL survey responses from 306 participants.
• Comparison of demographic data for academic appointments, EAST committees, and EAST board membership.
• Demographic data for EAST membership and board were compared with Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) data.

Main Results:

• Females constituted 37.4% and SOC 23.5% of respondents.
• Females were underrepresented in academic leadership (P < 0.0001).
• Both females and SOC were underrepresented on the EAST board (P = 0.002 and P = 0.043, respectively).
• EAST presidents were predominantly white men (85%).

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest potential underrepresentation of women and SOC in academic trauma surgery leadership.
• Lack of robust demographic data hinders accurate assessment of marginalized groups' representation.
• National trauma organizations must improve data collection to better evaluate and promote DEI.