TY - JOUR
T1 - Demographics of ASTRO Student Members and Potential Implications for Future U.S. Radiation Oncology Workforce Diversity
AU - ASTRO Committee on Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and ASTRO Workforce Committee
AU - Mattes, Malcolm D.
AU - Deville, Curtiland
AU - Vega, Raymond B.Mailhot
AU - Fung, Claire Y.
AU - Suneja, Gita
AU - Shumway, John W.
AU - Chowdhary, Mudit
AU - Shah, Chirag
AU - Bates, James E.
AU - Mohindra, Pranshu
AU - Siker, Malika L.
AU - Winkfield, Karen M.
AU - Vapiwala, Neha
AU - Royce, Trevor J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Support from ASTRO was provided by Anna Arnone and Todd Karstaedt. Sources of support: This work had no specific funding.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Author(s)
PY - 2022/3/1
Y1 - 2022/3/1
N2 - Purpose: The radiation oncology workforce in the United States is comparatively less diverse than the U.S. population and U.S. medical school graduates. Workforce diversity correlates with higher quality care and outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether student members of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) are any more diverse than resident members-in-training using the recently established medical student membership category. Methods and Materials: Self-reported sex, race and Hispanic ethnicity, medical school, and degree(s) earned for all medical students (n = 268) and members-in-training (n = 713) were collected from the ASTRO membership database. International members were excluded. The χ2 test was used to assess for differences between subgroups. Results: Compared with members-in-training, student members were more likely to be female (40.0% vs 31.5%, P = .032), black or African American (10.7% vs 4.8%, P = .009), candidates for or holders of a DO rather than MD degree (5.2% vs 1.5%, P = .002), and from a U.S. medical school that is not affiliated with a radiation oncology residency program (30.5% vs 20.9%, P = .001). There was no significant difference in self-reported Hispanic ethnicity (7.3% vs 5.4%, P = .356). There were no indigenous members in either category assessed. Conclusions: Medical student members of ASTRO are more diverse in terms of black race, female sex, and osteopathic training, though not in terms of Hispanic ethnicity or nonmultiracial indigenous background, than the members-in-training. Longitudinal engagement with these students and assessment of the factors leading to specialty retention versus attrition may increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in radiation oncology.
AB - Purpose: The radiation oncology workforce in the United States is comparatively less diverse than the U.S. population and U.S. medical school graduates. Workforce diversity correlates with higher quality care and outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether student members of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) are any more diverse than resident members-in-training using the recently established medical student membership category. Methods and Materials: Self-reported sex, race and Hispanic ethnicity, medical school, and degree(s) earned for all medical students (n = 268) and members-in-training (n = 713) were collected from the ASTRO membership database. International members were excluded. The χ2 test was used to assess for differences between subgroups. Results: Compared with members-in-training, student members were more likely to be female (40.0% vs 31.5%, P = .032), black or African American (10.7% vs 4.8%, P = .009), candidates for or holders of a DO rather than MD degree (5.2% vs 1.5%, P = .002), and from a U.S. medical school that is not affiliated with a radiation oncology residency program (30.5% vs 20.9%, P = .001). There was no significant difference in self-reported Hispanic ethnicity (7.3% vs 5.4%, P = .356). There were no indigenous members in either category assessed. Conclusions: Medical student members of ASTRO are more diverse in terms of black race, female sex, and osteopathic training, though not in terms of Hispanic ethnicity or nonmultiracial indigenous background, than the members-in-training. Longitudinal engagement with these students and assessment of the factors leading to specialty retention versus attrition may increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in radiation oncology.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.adro.2021.100834
DO - 10.1016/j.adro.2021.100834
M3 - Article
C2 - 34977427
AN - SCOPUS:85121184807
SN - 2452-1094
VL - 7
JO - Advances in Radiation Oncology
JF - Advances in Radiation Oncology
IS - 2
M1 - 100834
ER -