The following is a summary of “Representation Matters: One Urology Residency Program’s Approach to Increasing Workforce Diversity,” published in the APRIL 2023 issue of Urology by Williams, et al.
For a study, researchers sought to design, implement, and evaluate a recruitment strategy to increase the representation of racially and ethnically underrepresented medicine (URiM) candidates in a urology residency program.
A three-pronged approach was developed and implemented to enhance the recruitment of URiM candidates. The approach included a funded visiting student rotation, holistic evaluation of applications, and targeted outreach efforts. Statistical analysis was conducted to assess the impact of the recruitment strategy on the number of URiM applicants interviewed and matched into the residency program. Traditional metrics used for residency recruitment were also evaluated during the study period from 2015 to 2022.
The percentage of URiM interviewees significantly increased from 6.1% in 2015 to a peak of 40% in 2020. Initially, there were no URiM residents in the urology residency program, but by 2022, the URiM representation had increased to 35%. Analysis of traditional metrics, such as mean USMLE Step 1 scores and maximum rank numbers, showed little differences before and after implementing the recruitment approach. The maximum rank number to fill the residency positions remained relatively stable throughout the study period, ranging from 5 to 38.
The three-pronged recruitment approach successfully increased the number of URiM candidates interviewed and subsequently matched into the urology residency program. The study highlighted the importance of intentional recruitment strategies in diversifying the urology workforce and encouraged urologists to lead similar initiatives.
Source: goldjournal.net/article/S0090-4295(22)01086-X/fulltext
