Diversifying the Surgical Workforce: Understanding Barriers to Inform Solutions

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Surgical Workforce Diversity
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Physician-patient concordance is linked to reduced healthcare disparities.
• The medical workforce, particularly in surgery, lacks diversity mirroring the general population.
• Addressing deficiencies in surgical workforce diversity is crucial for equitable healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the interest of underrepresented in medicine (URiM) college students in surgical careers.
• To identify barriers faced by URiM students aspiring to enter surgery.
• To pilot an early recruitment strategy for diversifying the surgical workforce.

Main Methods:

• Recruited URiM college students to an academic surgery department symposium.
• Included panels, OR streaming, simulation labs, and career development sessions.
• Employed mixed methods to analyze cohort characteristics, career interest shifts, and perceived barriers.

Main Results:

• 58 URiM students attended; 63.8% identified as racial/ethnic minorities.
• Pre-symposium, 25% considered surgery; post-symposium, 43% intended to pursue surgery (52% undecided but interested).
• Top barriers: lack of mentors (50%), MCAT concerns (50%), costs (48%), work/life balance (47%).

Conclusions:

• A low-cost pilot symposium effectively increased interest in surgical careers among diverse students.
• Identified critical needs for mentorship and support to facilitate entry into surgical fields.
• Demonstrated potential for early recruitment to diversify the future surgical workforce.