The US population is becoming more diverse, but the ethnicities of surgeons in practice doesn’t reflect the USA’s demographics.
While the percentage of minority patients increased during the period 2014-2018, minority surgeons became a smaller part of the field.
“Ethnic and Gender Diversity Comparison between Surgical Patients and Caring Surgeons” by Noel, Berg, Onyango, and Mackey published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery– Global Open, October 2020, illustrates the gap between patients and surgical providers who look like them. Their work shows that the gap is widening.
There is a responsibility in medicine to promote the surgical professions to women and minorities, starting at the high school level and beyond through scholarships, mentoring, hiring, residency selections, and promoting cultural competency among surgeons already in the workforce.
Noel, Berg, Onyango, and Mackey illustrate the gap between patients and surgical providers who look like them. Their work shows that the gap is widening.
