Analysis of physician recipients of recognition awards from the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation by Race and Ethnicity.

BACKGROUND: Medical society recognition awards are important resources for physicians in advancing their careers. There is a need to better understand the representation of physician recipients by race and ethnicity, especially in women with intersectional identities. OBJECTIVE: To assess the proportions of American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) award recipients by race and ethnicity and the intersection of gender. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and retrospective study. SETTING AND METHODS: One hundred seven (n = 107) published online physician award recipients from 2011 to 2020 were categorized by race, ethnicity, and gender by two independent researchers. There was 100% interrater agreement on race and gender and 95% on ethnicity. Data were analyzed with descriptive analysis and multilinear regression. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Awards given to physicians coded by race (White/Caucasian, Asian, and Black/African American), ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino), and the intersection of gender with race and ethnicity were analyzed. The primary comparator was proportions by race, ethnicity, and gender of academic physicians in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) using Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) data. A secondary aim was recipients' proportions compared to AAMC benchmarks for all practicing physiatrists. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in representation of award recipients by race or ethnicity compared to the primary comparator of their percentages in academic PM&R. Notably, 96.3% of awards were given to physicians identified as being in or having been in academic medicine. Secondary analysis of award recipients to all practicing physiatrists revealed significant underrepresentation of recipients who were coded as (1) White/Caucasian women, Asian men and women, Black/African American men and women (p = .016), and (2) Hispanic/Latino men and women (p = .028). CONCLUSIONS: This is a novel study assessing race and ethnicity in physician recognition awards presented by a medical society. No significant disparities were found among recipients as compared to representation in academic PM&R. However, there were significant disparities when compared to all practicing physiatrists. These findings deserve further investigation and consideration as medical societies strive to equitably support all members.

Awareness of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation as a Specialty Among US Medical Students.

ABSTRACT: The objectives were to assess US medical students' awareness about physical medicine and rehabilitation, their career goals that may align with physical medicine and rehabilitation, and their exposure to physical medicine and rehabilitation and to compare the demographics of those applying to, interested, or not interested in physical medicine and rehabilitation residency. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. An online survey was distributed to 76 medical schools, and 2067 students responded. First-generation and Hispanic/Latino students are less likely to know about physical medicine and rehabilitation. Medical students who heard about physical medicine and rehabilitation before or during college or who are first-generation students to attend medical school are more likely to be interested in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Medical students identified as female, Black or African American, and more advanced in medical training have lesser interest. Rotating in physical medicine and rehabilitation at their home institution and shadowing a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician also increase the likelihood of respondents to apply to physical medicine and rehabilitation residency. This study highlights that female students and underrepresented minorities in medicine are less likely to know about physical medicine and rehabilitation or be interested in physical medicine and rehabilitation. First-generation medical students know less about the field but the ones who do have increased interest in physical medicine and rehabilitation. These findings support the need for pipeline programs to improve exposure, recruitment, development, promotion, and retention of first-generation minorities and women into physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Inflammaging in Dermatology: A New Frontier for Research.

As humans age, our ability to manage certain types of inflammation is reduced. As a result, we experience chronic, low-grade inflammation, which has been termed “inflammaging”. This type of low-level inflammation is driven by a progressive increase in pro- inflammatory systemic cytokines over time. Inflammaging is thought to contribute to many age-related chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and even certain cancers. Recent studies suggest that the human microbiome may play a critical role in inflammaging. As the largest organ of the body and home to a significant portion of the human microbiome, the skin may play a unique role in inflammaging. In this review article, we present common dermatological diseases through the lens of inflammaging, look at how our skin may play a role in reducing inflammaging, and highlight the need for further focused research in this area. J Drugs Dermatol. 2021;20(2):144-149. doi:10.36849/JDD.5481.