Trends in Race/Ethnicity of Pediatric Residents and Fellows: 2007-2019.

Background And Objectives: A diverse pediatric workforce reflecting the racial/ethnic representation of the US population is an important factor in eliminating health inequities. Studies reveal minimal improvements over time in the proportions of underrepresented in medicine (URiM) physicians; however, studies assessing trends in pediatric URiM trainee representation are limited. Our objective was to evaluate longitudinal trends in racial/ethnic representation among a cross-section of US pediatric trainees and to compare it to the US population.

Methods: Repeated cross-sectional study of graduate medical education census data on self-reported race/ethnicity of pediatric residents and subspecialty fellows from 2007 to 2019. To evaluate trends in URiM proportions over time, the Cochran-Armitage test was performed. Data on self-reported race/ethnicity of trainees were compared with the general population data over time by using US Census Bureau data.

Results: Trends in URiM proportions were unchanged in residents (16% in 2007 to 16.5% in 2019; = .98) and, overall, decreased for fellows (14.2% in 2007 to 13.5% in 2019; = .002). URiM fellow trends significantly decreased over time in neonatal-perinatal medicine ( < .001), infectious diseases ( < .001), and critical care ( = .006) but significantly increased in endocrinology ( = .002) and pulmonology ( = .009). Over time, the percentage of URiM pediatric trainee representation was considerably lower compared to the US population.

Conclusions: The continued underrepresentation of URiM pediatric trainees may perpetuate persistent health inequities for minority pediatric populations. There is a critical need to recruit and retain pediatric URiM residents and subspecialty fellows.