Diversity of Leadership and Its Influence on Diversity of Integrated Plastic Surgery Residency Cohorts: A Study in the Virtual Era.

Background: In the aftermath of COVID-19, the residency application process has largely remained in the virtual space, introducing a new challenge to prospective integrated plastic surgery residents. Many programs enhanced their online presence to address this challenge, but both programs and applicants are still limited to a virtual snapshot when determining "fit." An important influence of fit is the ability to racially, ethnically, and/or culturally identify with the program. The aims of this study are to: (1) better understand the online information that residency programs are making available to prospective applicants, (2) characterize the racial diversity of programs, and (3) investigate the effect of program leadership on racial diversity.

Methods: A cross-sectional study of US integrated plastic surgery residency programs was performed in August 2022. Data on race were collected for residency program directors and resident cohorts and compared with self-reported data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Relationships between these groups were analyzed.

Results: Racial data were collected on 82 program directors and their corresponding residency cohorts, representing a total of 1174 individuals. These data closely matched the AAMC data on race/ethnicity in plastic surgery programs. By race, the smallest percentage of resident groups are Black/African American (3.4%) and Hispanic (4.2%). Though not statistically significant, more residents of a given race are in programs with a director of the same race.

Conclusions: Online information about residency programs and their cohorts is robust. The racial diversity of a residency cohort is positively associated with racial diversity of program directors.