Emphasis of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on US Adult Infectious Disease Fellowship Program Websites in the Era of Virtual Recruitment

Women and underrepresented-in-medicine applicants value a climate for diversity when selecting graduate medical education training programs. Climate may not be accurately represented during virtual recruitment. Optimizing program websites may help overcome this barrier. We reviewed websites for adult infectious disease fellowships that participated in the 2022 National Resident Matching Program for emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Fewer than half expressed DEI language in their mission statement or had a dedicated DEI statement or webpage. Programs should consider emphasizing their commitment to DEI prominently on their websites, which may help recruit candidates from diverse backgrounds.

Gender influences resident physicians' perception of an employee-to-employee recognition program: a mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

Burnout is prevalent in medical training. While some institutions have implemented employee-to-employee recognition programs to promote wellness, it is not known how such programs are perceived by resident physicians, or if the experience differs among residents of different genders.

METHODS

We used convergent mixed methods to characterize how residents in internal medicine (IM), pediatrics, and general surgery programs experience our employee-to-employee recognition ("Hi-5″) program. We collected Hi-5s received by residents in these programs from January 1, 2021-December 31, 2021 and coded them for recipient discipline, sex, and PGY level and sender discipline and professional role. We conducted virtual focus groups with residents in each training program.

MAIN MEASURES AND APPROACH

We compared Hi-5 receipt between male and female residents; overall and from individual professions. We submitted focus group transcripts to content analysis with codes generated iteratively and emergent themes identified through consensus coding.

RESULTS

Over a 12-month period, residents received 382 Hi-5s. There was no significant difference in receipt of Hi-5s by male and female residents. Five IM, 3 surgery, and 12 pediatric residents participated in focus groups. Residents felt Hi-5s were useful for interprofessional feedback and to mitigate burnout. Residents who identified as women shared concerns about differing expectations of professional behavior and communication based on gender, a fear of backlash when behavior does not align with gender stereotypes, and professional misidentification.

CONCLUSIONS

The "Hi-5" program is valuable for interprofessional feedback and promotion of well-being but is experienced differently by men and women residents. This limitation of employee-to-employee recognition should be considered when designing equitable programming to promote well-being and recognition.

Factors Associated With Infectious Disease Fellowship Fill Rate: An Analysis of 2019, 2020, and 2021 Match Cycles

Historically, there has been a relative paucity of applicants to infectious disease fellowships. This leads to a significant number of programs being unfilled in the fellowship match. We sought to identify predictors of a program filling all positions offered in the match through retrospective review of available match and program data for the 2019-2021 match cycles. In the 2021 match, hospital and research rankings were associated with filling, as were offering specialized training tracks and having an active Twitter account. Knowledge of these associations can help programs direct resources to optimize recruitment and enrichment of infectious disease fellows.

1348. I can see myself there: Messages of inclusion on ID fellowship program websites

Background

Fellowship program websites are a key means of recruitment, particularly during all-virtual interview seasons. Perceptions of the value placed on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) influence applicant interest in training programs. To attract candidates from diverse backgrounds, infectious disease (ID) fellowship program websites should reflect the importance of diversity to patient care and program culture. Here we describe the current landscape of DEI elements within ID fellowship program websites.

Methods

Data for all ID fellowship programs that participated in the 2022 match were gathered from the NRMP, FREIDA and program websites, including: location, population, census region, university or community affiliation, visas accepted, and number of positions offered. ID fellowship program websites were reviewed for elements that reflect values of DEI, including: 1) presence of a program mission statement and whether it included inclusive language, 2) presence of inclusive language elsewhere, 3) separate DEI webpage, 4) fellow and faculty photographs and biographies on fellowship or division website, 5) statement of nondiscrimination in hiring, and 6) formal programming or support for underrepresented in medicine (URM), women, LGBTQ or disabled trainees.

Results

153 programs participated in the 2022 ID fellowship match; 149 have dedicated websites. Fifty-three programs had fellowship-specific mission statements, of which 14 had language oriented toward DEI. Forty-two (28%) had inclusive language reflected anywhere on their website; 14 (9%) maintained a separate section for DEI. Disclosure of non-discrimination was identified on 74 (50%) of websites. Fellow photos and biographies were available on approximately 60% of division or fellowship websites and faculty photos and biographies on approximately 90% of fellowship or division websites. Mention of formal programming or support for URM (6), women (4), LGBTQ (2) and disabled trainees (2) was uncommon.

Conclusion

Most ID fellowship program websites lack elements that reflect DEI as a priority. Program websites should incorporate inclusive language to attract and support URM, women, LGBTQ and disabled trainees.

Disclosures

Jessica S. Tischendorf, MD, MS, Merck: Grant/Research Support.