Workforce Diversity Initiatives

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) describes underrepresented in medicine as, “those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population.” Supporting career pathways for those currently underrepresented in medicine increases their representation in the workforce and improves the overall access and the quality-of-care pediatric patients receive. Presently, the representation of Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) pediatric trainees aiming to enter the workforce are not proportional to their representation in the general population.

Figure 1

Percentage of URiM trainee representation compared with US population representation, 2019. Source: Trends in Race/Ethnicity of Pediatric Residents and Fellows: 2007–2019.

Ongoing discussions across medical societies about physician diversity have broadened to include not only race, ethnicity, and language but also social identities such as gender, sexual orientation and disability and cultural attributes such as religious beliefs. Efforts that promote the implementation of interventions along the pathway are needed to encourage diverse students, especially those underrepresented and historically excluded to pursue careers in medicine. There are ongoing efforts at the Academy to engage and support URiM students by developing opportunities to increase interest in and exposure to pediatrics.

Pediatric Pathway Innovation Program

The Pediatric Pathway Innovation program, funded by Johnson & Johnson, Program focused on increasing interest in pediatrics, especially among those who are under-represented in medicine (URiM). Six institutions were awarded grants to support programs aimed at enhanced and/or expanding existing pathway programs that include a pediatric healthcare component and geared towards primary school, high school, undergraduate or medical students.

Boston Children’s Pediatric Community Advocacy Program: The Pediatric Community Advocacy Program (PCAP) is a virtual outreach program in Boston supporting high school students to build advocacy skills and exposure to pediatrics through presentations and panels.
Tour for Diversity in Medicine Pediatric Mentoring Circles: Tour 4 Diversity’s pediatric mentoring circles created opportunities for mentorship, outreach and partnership with student organizations through virtual and in person panels that build interest in pediatrics.
UT Southwestern’s Education, Leadership, and Mentoring Program: UT Southwestern through the Education, Leadership and Mentoring program supports a cohort of high school students, medical students, a resident, and an attending for a semester mentoring opportunities that allowed for the sharing of life experiences and perspectives of different careers within pediatrics.
Prisma Health-Upstate’s Pediatric Youth Immersion Camp of the Upstate Program: The Pediatric Youth Immersion Camp of the Upstate (PYICU) is a partnership between the University South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Prisma Health Upstate, and Carolina High School and Academy. The program encourages high school students in an immersive system-based pediatric focused lectures and hands on activities with mentors.
University of California San Diego’s Transitions in Education: Bridging Native American Educational Pathways in Pediatrics Program: The Transitions in Education project designed, implemented, and evaluated of a ½ day virtual conference highlighting Pathways to Pediatrics targeting future AI/AN physicians. This engaging half-day virtual event was led by community leaders, general and specialty pediatric physicians, and Native medical students at UC San Diego. The aim was to increase representation of Native American students in pediatric and pediatric specialties.
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh Foundation’s Career Help Achievement and Advancement Mentorship Program: Children’s Hospital Arsenal Middle Medical Mentorship Program of Pittsburgh (CHAMP) is an integrated mentorship and well-being program for a community of underrepresented minority medical and middle school students within the city of Pittsburgh. The CHAMP program hosts a “mentorship and experience” bridge program between the University of Pittsburgh Medical School and Arsenal Middle School, in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh.

If you have questions, please contact us.

Pathway to Pediatrics: Collaborative Solutions for Improving URiM Access Program

The Pathway to Pediatrics: Collaborative Solutions for Improving URiM Access program, funded by Johnson & Johnson focuses on increasing interest in and exposure to pediatrics throughout the pathway among those who are under-represented in medicine (URiM). Six Pediatric Interest Groups (PIG) were awarded grants to foster collaboration with student affinity groups to engage secondary, undergraduate, and/or post-baccalaureate URiM students.

Michigan State University College of Human Medicine: Pediatrics in Action project included monthly fireside chats with URiM pediatricians from all around the country, facilitated by Pediatric Interest Group and Student National Medical Association members, to encourage undergraduate students and medical students to consider pediatrics.
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine: Held a physician panel directed at medical students, to provide an opportunity to hear from current residents and physicians about their path to pediatrics experiences. An additional outreach event with a local middle school served to expose middle school students to a medical school campus and the field of medicine in general.
University of Pikeville- Kentucky College of Osteopathic Medicine (KYCOM): Mini Medical School event hosted in collaboration with the Student National Medical Association for local elementary school students to obtain exposure to topics about health, wellness, nutrition, and medicine.
University at Buffalo: Promoted neonatal-perinatal medicine career to University at Buffalo medical students and residents in outreach activities such as and implementing an informal neonatal-perinatal medicine faculty office hours and engaging students at University at Buffalo Research Day, Advocacy Conferences and PAS.
University of Michigan: Designed and implemented a mentorship match between medical students and residents. Faculty participated in panels to share information about different paths in pediatrics and introduce URiM students to diverse faculty members and residents at the institution as resources.
University of Mississippi Medical Center: Partnered with a local elementary school to create programming for first graders to share learning on topics regarding the body, healthy food and the life of a doctor. A panel of URiM pediatricians was hosted for Pediatric Interest Group and Student National Medical Association members to discuss the importance of representation in pediatrics.

If you have questions, please contact us.

SOHM Elevation Mentorship Program

The AAP Section on Hospital Medicine (SOHM) Elevation Mentorship Program was founded in 2020 by Dr Gabrina Dixon and the SOHM Diversity & Inclusion Task Force in an effort to promote mentorship in medicine for students from minority and underrepresented communities.

Since its founding, the Elevation Program has connected over 50 undergraduate and medical students from all over the United States with pediatric hospital medicine faculty and fellow mentors. The Program has hosted virtual workshops on topics such as mentorship, implicit bias, and pediatric hospital medicine over the academic year.

The year-long program begins recruitment of eligible undergraduates and medical students for the incoming mentee class in August. For more information contact us for questions, mentee recruitment material, or interest in becoming a mentor.

SOPT CHANGE Grant

The Section on Pediatric Trainees CHANGE Grant Program is to support and prioritize research, intervention, and education within communities and institutions addressing: health disparity/health equity, lack of diversity in medicine, or the climate crisis/environmental justice. The efforts of trainees hailing from groups under-represented in medicine will be specifically prioritized as we understand it is no coincidence that these groups, disproportionately absent within medicine, are also disproportionately affected by inequity (health and otherwise) which is and will continue to be critically amplified by the climate crisis.

If you have questions, please contact SOPT.

Last Updated

02/22/2022

Source

American Academy of Pediatrics

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Last Updated

Source