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Practical Strategies for Underrepresented Minority Recruitment in General Surgery Residency
Britany N Thompson1, Kendra Colbert1, Michael S Nussbaum1
1Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Carilion Clinic, Department of Surgery, Roanoke, Virginia.
Journal of Surgical Education
|October 20, 2022
Summary
Implementing targeted strategies significantly boosted the recruitment of underrepresented minorities in medicine (URiM) for general surgery residency. These efforts increased URiM applicant invitations and matched residents, enhancing diversity in surgical training programs.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Residency Programs
- Diversity and Inclusion in Medicine
Background:
- Underrepresented minority in medicine (URiM) candidates are historically underrepresented in general surgery residency applications and selections.
- General surgery residency program directors face ongoing challenges in recruiting diverse medical school applicants.
- Previous diversity initiatives have shown limited success in increasing URiM matriculation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of new diversification strategies on URiM resident recruitment in a general surgery residency program.
- To evaluate changes in the proportion of URiM applicants invited, interviewed, ranked, and matched following intervention.
- To assess the effectiveness of holistic review and increased transparency in improving URiM representation.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective review of ACGME match cycles from 2016 to 2022 was conducted.
- New diversification strategies, including holistic review and targeted outreach, were implemented in 2021.
- Applicant data pre- and post-intervention were compared to assess changes in URiM recruitment metrics.
Main Results:
- The proportion of URiM applicants invited to interview increased from 4% pre-intervention to 27% post-intervention.
- Prior to interventions, only 4% of matched residents over 5 years were URiM; post-intervention, 30% of the incoming class were URiM residents.
- Overall, URiM residents represented 9% of matched individuals over 15 years, with a significant increase after strategy implementation.
Conclusions:
- Targeted diversification efforts, including holistic review and transparent communication, can substantially improve URiM recruitment in general surgery residency.
- Diversifying faculty and trainees involved in the selection process may enhance the recruitment of URiM candidates.
- These findings offer a model for other residency programs seeking to increase diversity and inclusion.
