Diversity in Dermatology Residencies Improves; Gaps Remain

TOPLINE:

Dermatology residency programs saw modest gains in racial and ethnic diversity from 2020 to 2024, but underrepresented groups remain disproportionately low compared with their share of the US population.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers analyzed national data on dermatology residents from the Association of American Medical Colleges from 2020 to 2024.
• They evaluated racial and ethnic representation trends and calculated rate ratios comparing residency demographics with the US population data.
• The analysis included comparison of underrepresented minority resident (American Indian or Alaska Native [AIAN], Black, Hispanic or Latino, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander [NHPI]) percentages across five historically less diverse specialties: Dermatology, neurological surgery, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology, and integrated plastic surgery.

TAKEAWAY:

• Black representation among dermatology residents rose from 4.6% to 8.7%, and Hispanic or Latino representation increased from 6.6% to 8.9%. NHPI representation declined from 0.2% to 0.1%, and AIAN representation remained steady at 0.7%.
• The rate ratio for Black residents compared with the US population demographics improved from 0.38 to 0.71, and for Hispanic residents from 0.35 to 0.47.
• Dermatology showed the highest annual increase in underrepresented minority residents (2.11% per year) among historically less diverse specialties, though it still lags behind specialties like obstetrics and gynecology.
• The total number of underrepresented minority residents grew from 185 in 2022 to 267 in 2024, still short of the 463 needed to meet the American Academy of Dermatology Pathways initiative goal of a 150% increase by 2027.

IN PRACTICE:

“Despite incremental improvements in diversity, sustained mentorship, pipeline development, and outreach efforts remain the key drivers of these gains,” the study authors wrote. “To ensure long-term progress, residency programs should track diversity metrics to better align recruitment with the demographics of their local communities,” they added.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Devin Barzallo, BA, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland. It was published online on May 14 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

LIMITATIONS:

The authors did not list any study limitations.

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any funding. The authors reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.