Prioritizing Equity and Diversity in Academic Medicine Faculty Recruitment and Retention

Underrepresented in medicine (URM) groups remain disproportionately low in the medical workforce compared with their numbers in the US population. The URM groups included women, those with disabilities, and African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Alaska Natives. Despite hefty efforts over several decades by many institutions, the government, accreditation bodies, and advocacy groups alike, there has been limited success in the recruitment and retention of a diverse medical workforce. There is an unmet need to increase the presence of URM groups in the medical workforce that has become more urgent in light of recent national events and the COVID-19 pandemic. Downloaded From: https://jamanetwork.com/ on 07/15/2023 institutional barriers not only prevent the growth of URM representation in the medical workforce, but they transfer to the delivery of health care and outcomes for minority and vulnerable patients. In the setting of the COVID-19 pandemic that has spotlighted these disparities, now more than ever, we are obligated to establish a diverse workforce that is sustainable to eliminate health care disparities and improve health outcomes for all patients.