Pursing a career in academic surgery among African American medical students

• Published in: The American journal of surgery Vol. 219; no. 4; pp. 598 - 603
• Main Authors: Roberts, S.E., Shea, J.A., Sellers, M., Butler, P.D., Kelz, R.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-04-2020; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Academic; Adult; African American; African Americans; Black students; Career Choice; Careers; Faculty, Medical; Female; Humans; Income; Interviews; Leadership; Life Style; Male; Medical student; Medical students; Medicine; Mentors; Minority Groups; Occupational Stress; Patient satisfaction; Pennsylvania; Perceptions; Physicians; Social Environment; Students; Students, Medical; Surgeons; Surgery; Young Adult; Pennsylvania; United States > US; Academic; Surgery; Medical student; African American
• ISSN: 0002-9610; 1879-1883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2019.08.009

There are few African American students in medical school, and even fewer are choosing academic surgical careers. The objective of this study is to provide insight into what barriers URM students perceive when considering a career in academic surgery.
This qualitative, descriptive study was conducted at the University of Pennsylvania. Sixteen African American students with an interest in surgery were recruited to participate in the study. The outcomes reported are themes of how participants perceive the challenges of pursuing an academic surgical career.
Barriers to pursuing a career in academic surgery cited by students included lifestyle concerns, financial pressures, having to work in a predominantly white environment, lack of mentorship, feelings of having to prove oneself, stressful environments and concerns of being a minority female in surgery.
These study findings indicate that the persistent dearth of African-Americans in academic surgery is likely multi-factorial. Some ways surgical leadership can begin addressing these issues is through establishment of formal mentorship programs, ensuring non-discriminatory recruiting processes, having explicit goals of improving diversity and supporting pipeline programs.
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•There is an alarming dearth of African American's pursing academic surgical careers.•African American students perceive there to be several challenges towards academic surgical careers.•Identifying and addressing these perceived challenges may help improve surgical workforce diversity.