Division of General Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Division of General Surgery, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Am J Surg. 2020 Apr;219(4):598-603. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2019.08.009. Epub 2019 Aug 17.
There are few African American students in medical school, and even fewer are choosing academic surgical careers. The objective of this study is to provide insight into what barriers URM students perceive when considering a career in academic surgery.
This qualitative, descriptive study was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania. Sixteen African American students with an interest in surgery were recruited to participate in the study. The outcomes reported are themes of how participants perceive the challenges of pursuing an academic surgical career.
Barriers to pursuing a career in academic surgery cited by students included lifestyle concerns, financial pressures, having to work in a predominantly white environment, lack of mentorship, feelings of having to prove oneself, stressful environments and concerns of being a minority female in surgery.
These study findings indicate that the persistent dearth of African-Americans in academic surgery is likely multi-factorial. Some ways surgical leadership can begin addressing these issues is through establishment of formal mentorship programs, ensuring non-discriminatory recruiting processes, having explicit goals of improving diversity and supporting pipeline programs.
医学学校中的非裔美国学生人数较少，选择从事学术外科职业的更是寥寥无几。本研究的目的是深入了解 URM 学生在考虑从事学术外科职业时所面临的障碍。
这项定性描述性研究在宾夕法尼亚大学进行。招募了 16 名对手术感兴趣的非裔美国学生参加这项研究。报告的结果是参与者如何看待从事学术外科职业的挑战的主题。
学生提到从事学术外科职业的障碍包括生活方式的担忧、经济压力、必须在以白种人为主的环境中工作、缺乏指导、需要证明自己、压力大的环境以及在外科领域作为少数族裔女性的担忧。
这些研究结果表明，非裔美国人在学术外科领域的持续短缺可能是多方面的。通过建立正式的指导计划、确保无歧视的招聘流程、明确提高多样性的目标以及支持人才培养计划，外科领导可以开始着手解决这些问题。
