Trends in Underrepresented Fellows in Gastroenterology.

Abstract

Most gastroenterology (GI) societies support interventions to improve diversity in medicine. It remains unclear whether these efforts have been effective. This study aims to examine nationwide trends of underrepresented minorities in medicine (UIM) in GI compared with other Internal Medicine fellowships. Retrospective cohort study used Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) race and gender data from 2011 to 2021. Fellows identifying as Hispanic, African American, or Native American/Alaskan were subclassified as UIM. The average percentage of fellows identifying as UIM or female in GI were lower than most internal medicine specialties. The proportion of UIM fellows in GI did not increase during the studied time ( P = 0.98) unlike the proportion of female fellows ( P = 0.06) in GI. Efforts to promote a more inclusive workforce in GI have had limited success over the past decade. Successful interventions that institutions can implement include supporting minority applicants, structured mentorship, and bias mitigation training.