U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Potentially Dampens Diversity

Although this ruling focused on race and ethnicity, rheumatologists interviewed for this story point out that other types of diversity are also important to admissions considerations, such as diversity in gender, geographic location (e.g., rural vs. urban) and whether a candidate has immigrant parents.

Dr. Helfgott

However, Simon M. Helfgott, MD, director of education and fellowship training in the Division of Rheumatology, Inflammation and Immunity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and a former physician editor of The Rheumatologist, points out the Supreme Court ruling could have less of an impact than some think, at least when it comes to evaluating fellowship candidates. He has already seen a trend of candidates revealing less personal information in their applications, making the selection process more challenging for fellowship programs. As a result, he says, he will focus on personal statements, where their residency was completed and feedback from the residency director to get a fuller picture of potential candidates.

Carving Out Diversity as a Priority

Although the impact of the Supreme Court decision continues to evolve and may take years to work its way through the admissions system, rheumatologists are already looking ahead for ways to increase diversity among candidates and encourage fellows to embrace diversity. Here are some of their ideas:

1. Educate medical students about rheumatology. “A medical student, regardless of their background, can’t think about a field if they’ve never interacted with physicians in that field,” Dr. Wright says. Lectures, rotations and programs that connect undergraduate or medical students with rheumatology can expand awareness of what the specialty offers.

When taking part in such sessions, Dr. Wright hears some common questions: What does a rheumatologist do? What do you find most rewarding? What’s your day-to-day work experience? Some students come away with a greater interest in the specialty and stay in touch with her.

Introducing rheumatology as a potential career option could even begin during elementary and high school years, Dr. Blazer says.

2. Reach out to schools or programs that serve those under-represented in medicine. Partnerships and educational programs geared toward historically Black colleges and universities can create a pipeline of clinical talent that could make its way into rheumatology, says Beth L. Jonas, MD, FACR, Reeves Foundation Distinguished Professor of Medicine and chief of the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill. Dr. Jonas is also a member of the ACR Workforce Solutions Steering Committee.