Addressing diversity in the physician workforce through social determinants of medical education

Social determinants of medical education are the most impactful aspects of recruiting, retaining, and producing the next generation of a diverse physician workforce. We can use the same framework well known to describe social determinants of health to identify social determinants that impact medical education learners and their ability to enter the workforce and succeed to completion. Efforts aimed at recruitment and retention should not exist in isolation and must be matched with those that continuously assess and evaluate the learning environment. The development of a climate where all can bring their full selves to learn, study, work, and care for patients is critically important in the creation of a learning environment where every participant can grow and thrive. If we are to address the need to diversify the workforce, we must be intentional with strategic plans, which includes addressing the social determinants that are prohibitive for some of our learners.