Butler Paris D, Longaker Michael T, Britt L D
Department of Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA.
Ann Surg. 2008 Nov;248(5):704-11. doi: 10.1097/SLA.0b013e31817f2c30.
Eliminating health care disparities in the United States will require a multifaceted approach that will include increasing diversity in the health care workforce. Historically, the field of medicine, and particularly surgery, has had an incumbent that grossly misrepresents the patient population. Delineating the exact demographics of the U.S. surgical residents and faculty could provide outstanding information, yielding insight into a possible deficit that, if rectified by the medical education system, could change the face of surgery and the entire health care system.
Demographic information regarding medical students, surgical residents, and surgical faculty was retrieved and analyzed from the Association of American Medical Colleges data files dating back to 1966.
Whites comprise 64.4% of U.S. surgical residents, whereas Asian Americans, African Americans, and Latino Americans comprise 17.2%, 4.7%, and 5.1%, respectively. Whites comprise 74.1%, of academic surgeons, whereas Asian Americans, African Americans, and Latino Americans comprise 10.8%, 2.9%, and 3.6%, respectively. African Americans and Latino Americans comprise 5.4% and 4.8% of all U.S. surgeons, but only 2.9% and 3.6% of the academic surgeons, respectively. Whites comprise 85.7% of tenured surgical professors, whereas Asian Americans, African Americans, and Latino Americans comprise 4.9%, 1.8%, and 2.7%, respectively.
Academic surgery is exceedingly deficient of minority residents, junior faculty, and professors. Correcting this misrepresentation would facilitate establishing a more culturally and ethnically sensitive health care environment for patients who otherwise would not seek care. Additionally, with more minority academic surgeons, there will likely be a commensurate increase in investigative studies highlighting minority specific health care needs and provide additional role models and mentors for future minority surgeons.
消除美国医疗保健方面的差异需要采取多方面的方法，其中包括增加医疗保健劳动力的多样性。从历史上看，医学领域，尤其是外科领域，一直存在严重歪曲患者群体的情况。描绘美国外科住院医师和教员的确切人口统计学特征可以提供重要信息，有助于深入了解可能存在的不足。如果医学教育系统能够纠正这一不足，可能会改变外科手术乃至整个医疗保健系统的面貌。
从美国医学院协会可追溯至1966年的数据文件中检索并分析了有关医学生、外科住院医师和外科教员的人口统计信息。
白人占美国外科住院医师的64.4%，而亚裔美国人、非裔美国人和拉丁裔美国人分别占17.2%、4.7%和5.1%。白人占学术外科医生的74.1%，而亚裔美国人、非裔美国人和拉丁裔美国人分别占10.8%、2.9%和3.6%。非裔美国人和拉丁裔美国人分别占美国所有外科医生的5.4%和4.8%，但在学术外科医生中仅分别占2.9%和3.6%。白人占终身制外科教授的85.7%，而亚裔美国人、非裔美国人和拉丁裔美国人分别占4.9%、1.8%和2.7%。
学术外科领域严重缺乏少数族裔住院医师、初级教员和教授。纠正这种代表性不足的情况将有助于为那些原本不会寻求治疗的患者建立一个更具文化和种族敏感性的医疗保健环境。此外，随着更多少数族裔学术外科医生的出现，可能会相应增加突出少数族裔特定医疗保健需求的调查研究，并为未来的少数族裔外科医生提供更多榜样和导师。
