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Final Program


Final Program

319 - Leadership Roles in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Programs still lack diversity Among Women and Racial Minorities.

Thursday, February 27, 2025
5:00 PM - 6:30 PM MST
Objectives: Diverse representation in medical leadership has been extensively researched, yet less is known about diversity among Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) leadership. This analysis examined demographic data of PMR department chairs and residency program directors of residencies accredited by the Association of Academic Physiatrists (AAP).

Design: Data on program directors and department chairs were gathered from the AAMC ERAS Directory of Physiatry Residencies (2024-2025). Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess demographic associations between directors and chairs.

Results:

Of PMR program directors, 55% (n=61) were male. Of those males, 66.57% (n=40) were non-Hispanic white, 21.31% (n=13) Asian, 11.48% (n=7) Hispanic, and 1.64% (n=1) African American. Female directors comprised 45% (n=48), predominantly non-Hispanic white (68.75%, n=33). Among the directors, 78.79% (n=86) held MD degrees, and the majority (86.23%) were trained in the U.S.  

Among department chairs, 69.72% (n=76) were male, primarily non-Hispanic white (72.37%, n=26). Female chairs comprised 30.28% (n=33), most of whom were also non-Hispanic white (78.78%, n=26). MD degrees were held by 79.81% (n=87) of chairs, mostly from U.S. institutions.

Conclusions: In PM&R, women are more likely to be residency program directors than department chairs. Underrepresented minority leadership in program director and department chair positions remains low. These findings highlight a critical need to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in PMR leadership in order to cultivate a workforce that represents the population we serve.