Barriers to Diversity in Medical Education and Ways to Address Them

The need for diversity in medicine has gained increased attention in the last few years, with many medical schools and graduate medical education (GME) programs developing initiatives to address this ( 1 LeBlanc C Sonnenberg LK King S et al. Medical education leadership: from diversity to inclusivity. GMS J Med Educ. 2020; 37: Doc18 PubMed Google Scholar ). However, there has been only a modest change in attracting those underrepresented in medicine (URiM) and others from diverse backgrounds. By the year 2050, racial and ethnic minorities are projected to be the majority of the population, so it is critical that the workforce in healthcare is representative of the patients being treated ( 2 Muppala VR Prakash N. Promoting physician diversity through medical student led outreach and pipeline programs. J Natl Med Assoc. 2021; 113: 165-168 PubMed Google Scholar ).