Gender, racial, and ethnic representation of cardiology fellows in the United States, 2014-2020: An underwhelming pace of diversification worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiologists serve a diverse population of patients, yet the lack of diversity within the cardiology workforce has continued to persist and does not represent the composition of the patient population in the United States. Although medical schools and internal medicine residency programs have witnessed major improvements in diversity, the field of cardiology has not emulated these patterns. METHODS: Gender, race, and ethnicity data from the graduate medical education supplements published annually in the Journal of the American Medical Association from 2014 through 2020 were analyzed. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the recruitment of female trainees in cardiology was also investigated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Women represented 24.6% of cardiology trainees in the year 2020, which is a minor increase from 21.2% in 2014. The percentage of Hispanic trainees has slightly decreased from 6.90% in 2014 to 6.26% in 2020, while the percentage of Black trainees has only increased from 5.45% in 2014 to 5.50% in 2020. The data demonstrate a clear disparity and a desperate need for diversification of the cardiology trainee workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic may also exacerbate this lack of diversity in upcoming years due to the reemergence of inequities in social responsibilities between male and female trainees. IMPLICATIONS: Strong action must be taken on an institutional level to shift the culture in cardiology to one that is more appealing to women and underrepresented minorities in order to better serve an increasingly diverse population.

The underrepresentation of women and ethnic minorities in anesthesiology.

PURPOSE: Diversity is crucial in the medical field, where patients have a significantly wide range of ethnic and racial backgrounds. With the increase in diversity in medical school and the growing list of subspecialties in medicine, we would expect to see a rise in diversity in the field of anesthesiology. The purpose of this study is to analyze the representation of gender and underrepresented minorities in anesthesiology residency programs from 2013 through 2019. METHODS: To study the ethnic, racial and gender diversity in residents in the field of anesthesiology, data was analyzed from the self-reported data collected in the Journal of the American Medical Association annual report on Graduate Medical Education over the academic period from 2013 through 2019. RESULTS: In 2013, female trainees made up 36.0% and Black trainees encompassed 5.9% whereas in 2019, female trainees comprised a mere 33.0% of total anesthesiology residents while Black trainees decreased to 5.5%. CONCLUSION: This study illustrates the disparity in the demographic composition of anesthesiology trainees and emphasizes the importance of having a more diverse workforce in the field of anesthesiology.

Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumor of the Buttock Region.

Perivascular epithelioid cell neoplasms, also known as PEComas, are a group of rare mesenchymal tumors that have a perivascular distribution and have no known counterpart to normal cells. The PEComa grouping includes angiomyolipomas, lymphangioleiomyomatoses, clear cell (sugar) tumors at extrapulmonary and intrapulmonary sites, clear cell myomelanocytic tumor of the falciform ligament/ligamentum teres among others. These rare tumors most commonly arise in the uterus. Here, we present an unusual case of malignant PEComa arising in the buttock region.

The Representation of Women and Ethnic Minorities among Integrated Plastic Surgery Trainees: A Persistent Need for Diversification.

BACKGROUND: Diversity in the workplace is crucial. As the United States population continues to diversify, the composition of graduate medical trainees (GMTs) among various medical specialties is not diversifying at nearly the same rate. This study aims to identify gender and ethnic minority disparities present in medicine, specifically among GMTs in the field of plastic surgery. PURPOSE: The field of plastic surgery is vast, with the patient population ranging from newborns to elders of all different races, religions, and ethnicities. However, the representation of women and minorities among the current plastic surgery trainees is not equivalent to the population they serve. METHODS: Data from the Graduate Medical Education (GME) census published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) was analyzed to compare trends of female and underrepresented ethnic minorities over the academic period from 2015 through 2019. Data regarding all GMTs and specifically those in the integrated plastic surgery (IPS) program was collected. RESULTS: Over the five-year study period, females were consistently underrepresented in plastic surgery when compared to the total number of female medical trainees. Currently, females represent 42.7% of GMTs in IPS, a small increase from 40.9% in 2015. Furthermore, Whites and Asians encompassed 87.7% (65.6% and 22.1%, respectively) of plastic surgery GMTs in 2019-2020. In the same academic year, Blacks and Hispanics together made up only 9.1% (2.5% and 6.6%, respectively) of GMTs in plastic surgery. CONCLUSION: This study portrays the importance of highlighting gender and ethnic minority disparities in the field of plastic surgery, thereby promoting initiatives for change in the coming future.

Interest in Telehealth Among Patients With Chronic Retinal Conditions.

Purpose: This work investigated interest in telehealth services for patients with chronic retinal conditions. Methods: A single-center, multi-office study was conducted of patients with chronic retinal conditions who were seen by 1 of 4 physicians during June 2020. Patients whose next appointment was 6 months or later were telephoned. Patients completed a phone interest survey about their interest in a hybrid telehealth evaluation instead of a complete office evaluation with their provider. Results: Of 2136 patients reviewed, 453 met eligibility to participate in the survey. A total of 159 patients (35.1%) participated, of whom 91 (57.2%) indicated an interest in telehealth at their next follow-up visit. Of the 68 (42.8%) patients without a current interest in telehealth, 13 (19.1%) expressed interest in pursuing telehealth in the future. Age (P = .19), sex (P = .22), race (P = .79), office location (P = .19), number of prior visits (P = .58), and median household income by patient's zip code (P = .14) were not predictors of telehealth interest. Among diagnoses, dry age-related macular degeneration was associated (P = .04) with increased interest in telehealth. An increased number of ocular diagnoses were also found to predict a decreased (P = .04) interest in telehealth. multivariable analysis revealed healthcare provider as the only significant predictor for interest in telehealth (P = .03). Conclusions: Most patients with chronic retinal conditions may be interested in incorporating telehealth into routine care. Considerations should be made to evaluate interest in telehealth to guide patients to clinical experiences that best suit their needs.