Assessing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Statements of Urogynecology Fellowships.

Abstract

Importance: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has aimed to increase diversity among the physician workforce. Prospective applicants utilize websites to identify programs that share a commitment to equity and inclusion. Published statements of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) demonstrate a fellowship program's recognition of the importance of improving diversity in health care and medical education.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the utilization of DEI statements published on urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery (URPS) fellowship program websites.

Study design: All ACGME accredited URPS fellowship websites in July 2023 were reviewed for presence of a DEI statement as a primary outcome. Website content was then compared across geographical regions (Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, South, and West).

Results: Seventy-two URPS programs had a dedicated website for review. Nine (12.5%) URPS programs had a published diversity statement. There were no statistical differences in the presence of a statement in URPS fellowships based on core-surgical speciality or geographic region.

Conclusions: A majority of URPS programs lack a DEI statement (87.5%) demonstrating an area for improvement. With an increasingly diverse patient population, the recruitment of a diverse pool of physician applicants is more crucial than ever. By advocating for transparency, URPS fellowship programs can foster an environment that nurtures a physician workforce better equipped to provide culturally inclusive health care.