AAMC Data Shows Effect of Surgery Faculty Diversity on General Surgery Resident Attrition Rate at Programs Sponsored by LCME-Accredited Medical Schools

Abstract

Objective: General surgery resident (GSR) 5-year attrition rates of 12% to 20% are currently reported. This study explores the impact of full-time surgery faculty (FSF) diversity on GSR attrition.

Design: Deidentified data were obtained from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) for FSF at US Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)-accredited medical schools and GSR at the affiliated general surgery residency programs (2001-2016). Data included annual GSR attrition rate and the number, gender, and race of FSF and GSR. Data were analyzed using linear and logarithmic regression.

Setting: The study was conducted at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine in Miami, Florida.

Participants: The data obtained included FSF from US LCME-accredited medical schools and GSR from those residency programs affiliated with US LCME-accredited medical schools. Data were included only if available for both FSF and GSR at a single institution. There were 107,300 annual FSF positions and 39,504 annual GSR positions from 61 U.S. LCME-accredited medical schools included in the analysis.

Results: Data included 107,300 FSF positions (26% non-white; 20% female) and 39,504 GSR positions (41% non-white; 33% female) summed across 1034 institution years. Increased female FSF is associated with decreased GSR attrition (R² = 0.009, p = 0.002, Fig. 1). For every 1% increase in female FSF, GSR programs were 4% less likely to have an attrition rate in the top quartile (odds ratio 0.96, confidence interval 0.94-0.98).

Conclusions: Gender diversity of FSF has an impact on GSR attrition; more female FSF correlates with lower GSR attrition rates.

Keywords: General surgery; Interpersonal and Communication Skills; Professionalism; Systems-Based Practice; attrition; diversity; female; residency.