Racial disparities in vascular surgery: An analysis of race and ethnicity among U.S. medical students, general surgery residents, vascular surgery trainees, and the vascular surgery workforce

The ever-increasing diversity of the U.S. population has resulted in a challenge to a vascular surgery workforce that does not represent the national demographics. Educational institutions, medical organizations, and medical agencies, through initiatives and programs, have attempted to increase the number of underrepresented minorities, with, however, only modest changes during the past 30 years. Several obstacles have been identified, some of which include racism, issues of finances, lack of mentors and scholarly activities, and inequity in promotion. In the present study, we have reviewed the reported data addressing these concerns and provided guidance toward the amelioration of these issues with the hope of constructive change toward encouraging a diverse vascular surgery workforce.