6 Medical Specialties That Need Diversity

There's the patient who comes in every week complaining of the pain--but not because he's in pain. He's afraid to be home alone. There's the patient that waited three days after having a stroke before coming to the hospital--because she couldn't make her way to the front door.

The stories go on.

Your patients' social histories are just as important as their physical ones. It's important to understand why---and how--your patients come to see you. The reason is not always the one they state. It's the one they hope you see.

Why does medicine need a diverse range of doctors with a variety of backgrounds? So they can understand every patient who walks in the door. So they know who they can ask when they're not sure about a situation.

Medicine is more than pathology. It's people. It's culture. It's social.

Let's take a closer look at six medical specialties that need a more diverse population to address the needs of their patients:

Dermatology

There are varying shades of skin tones in the world, but the field of dermatology in the US is shockingly white.

According to a 2017 article in JAMA, approximately 3 percent of US dermatologists are black and 4.2 are Hispanic.

JAMA's suggestion? Medical schools need to develop more programs that encourage a diverse population to apply for dermatology positions.

Medical schools also need to offer a diversity of dermatology courses that show how different dermatological issues manifest themselves on different kinds of skin. There are limited mentors in the field and limited experiences.

That needs to change.

Surgery

Underrepresented minorities account for 11 percent of US medical school graduates. Across all medical specialties, 29 percent of full-time faculty are women, of which 4 percent are underrepresented minorities. Among full professors of surgery? Less than 10 percent are women. Only 22 percent of surgical department chairs in the US and Canada are women.

The future success of surgery depends on the trust that patients feel for their doctors. These doctors need to be diverse and inclusive.

What does this mean? Surgery needs a diversity of race, socioeconomics, gender, sexuality, and religion.

Radiology

According to a 2014 article in HealthImaging, diagnostic radiology ranks ninth in total resident enrollment, but only 18th among residents classified as minorities. Radiation oncology is no better.

Women are underrepresented.

The benefit of a diverse radiology workforce? The article quoted a study in the Journal of the American College of Radiology:

“[A] radiologist might add substantially to the diversity of a group practice because of prior experience, such as having served in another part of the world as a Peace Corps volunteer, having had another career in a field such as business or the arts, or having dealt with the health care system as a patient,” wrote the authors. “Just as diversity is important, so too is a variety of perspectives on the value of diversity.”

Gynecology

Here, there's a lack of diversity, especially in leadership.

Women account for just 20.4 percent of all chairs, 36.1 percent of vice chairs, and 29.6 percent of division directors in OB/GYN departments. While 47.3 percent of OB/GYN residency directors are women, there needs to be more diversity in the field.

Women are significantly underrepresented in a field that directly affects their health.

Orthopedics

White males typically dominate this field. While minority representation in orthopedic residency programs has increased for Asians, Hispanics, and African Americans, experts suggest more interventions from medical schools and residency programs to encourage more minorities to go into the field.

Otolaryngology

Head and neck specialists also see a frightening underrepresentation of minorities. Just 2.3 percent of African Americans, 1.5 percent of Native Americans, and 17.3 percent of Hispanic doctors are head and neck specialists.

In spite of the increasing diversity of the medical student population, diversity in subspecialties severely lags.

What can be done? Medical schools and residency programs need to intervene to allow ample opportunity for minorities and women to apply to these specialties--and to the have the opportunity for success.

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