A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of DEI Medical Education Initiatives

by Karen Appold •

“Continued efforts will continue to create an otolaryngology workforce that mirrors the population it serves, and mentorship will be necessary to ensure that otolaryngology as a medical specialty continues to evolve to be in line with the future of the U.S. population,” Dr. Watkins concluded.    

Karen Appold is a freelance medical writer based in San Diego, Calif.

Advancing DEI in Education

A 2020 study examined diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in otolaryngology and 109 general surgery residency programs (Ear Nose Throat J. 2021. doi:10.1177/0145561320922633). Researchers found that all programs have institution-wide DEI initiatives, but only 19 otolaryngology programs promoted their own initiatives aimed at recruiting and retaining diverse faculty and residents. 

There are many ways to promote DEI in medical education in medical schools and in residency. The Stanford SCORE program (https://med.stanford.edu/clerkships/score-program.html) is an example of how a medical school can increase access to mentorship, clinical training, and professional connections for medical students who might have less access to these opportunities due to systemic biases, said Karthik Balakrishnan, MD, MPH, associate professor in the department of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery and surgeon-in-chief at Stanford Children’s Health in Palo Alto, Calif.

Stanford SCORE matches final-year medical students from diverse backgrounds with faculty mentors at Stanford to provide clinical experience and opportunities to pursue research. The program also provides funding for a stipend and housing costs so that students from all socioeconomic backgrounds have the same access.

Other ways to promote DEI include funding that targets diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging, improving teamwork culture and psychological safety, and DEI morbidity and mortality conferences, said Dr. Balakrishnan.

Oregon Health & Science University’s Otolaryngology Diversity and Anti-Racism Committee (ODAC), established in 2020, brought new members to the table and enabled the department to take a fresh look at opportunities for DEI, said Myriam Loyo Li, MD, MCR, associate professor of otolaryngology at Oregon Health. For example, the ODAC reviews residency applicants holistically and advances applications for consideration by the interview committee based on experiences of diversity and adversity.

Additionally, Oregon Health, located in Portland, offers a Diversity Visiting Otolaryngology Student Grant for underrepresented in medicine (URiM) students to travel there for sub-internship rotations. This is meant to improve access for individuals who couldn’t consider applying without economic support and incentivizes students to consider its program, Dr. Loyo Li explained.