Oranicha Jumreornvong

Background Medical society recognition awards are important resources for physicians in advancing their careers. There is a need to better understand the representation of physician recipients by race and ethnicity, especially in women with intersectional identities. Objective To assess the proportions of American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) award recipients by race and ethnicity and the intersection of gender. Design Cross-sectional and retrospective study. Setting and Methods One hundred seven (n=107) published online physician award recipients from 2011-2020 were categorized by race, ethnicity, and gender by two independent researchers. There was 100% interrater agreement on race and gender and 95% on ethnicity. Data were analyzed with descriptive analysis and multilinear regression. Main Outcome Measures Awards given to physicians coded by race (White/Caucasian, Asian, and Black/African American), ethnicity (Hispanic/Latino), and the intersection of gender with race and ethnicity were analyzed. The primary comparator was proportions by race, ethnicity, and gender of academic physicians in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) using Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) data. A secondary aim was recipients' proportions compared to AAMC benchmarks for all practicing physiatrists. Results There were no significant differences in representation of award recipients by race or ethnicity compared to the primary comparator of their percentages in academic PM&R. Notably, 96.3% of awards were given to physicians identified as being in or having been in academic medicine. Secondary analysis of award recipients to all practicing physiatrists revealed significant underrepresentation of recipients who were coded as: (1) White/Caucasian women, Asian men and women, Black/African American men and women (p = 0.016), and (2) Hispanic/Latino men and women (p = 0.028). Conclusions This is a novel study assessing race and ethnicity in physician recognition awards presented by a medical society. No significant disparities were found among recipients as compared to representation in academic PM&R. However, there were significant disparities when compared to all practicing physiatrists. These findings deserve further investigation and consideration as medical societies strive to equitably support all members.

The objectives were to assess US medical students’ awareness about physical medicine and rehabilitation, their career goals that may align with physical medicine and rehabilitation, and their exposure to physical medicine and rehabilitation and to compare the demographics of those applying to, interested, or not interested in physical medicine and rehabilitation residency. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. An online survey was distributed to 76 medical schools, and 2067 students responded. First-generation and Hispanic/Latino students are less likely to know about physical medicine and rehabilitation. Medical students who heard about physical medicine and rehabilitation before or during college or who are first-generation students to attend medical school are more likely to be interested in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Medical students identified as female, Black or African American, and more advanced in medical training have lesser interest. Rotating in physical medicine and rehabilitation at their home institution and shadowing a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician also increase the likelihood of respondents to apply to physical medicine and rehabilitation residency. This study highlights that female students and underrepresented minorities in medicine are less likely to know about physical medicine and rehabilitation or be interested in physical medicine and rehabilitation. First-generation medical students know less about the field but the ones who do have increased interest in physical medicine and rehabilitation. These findings support the need for pipeline programs to improve exposure, recruitment, development, promotion, and retention of first-generation minorities and women into physical medicine and rehabilitation.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has offered medical schools an opportunity to incorporate telemedicine training into the curricula in a timely and practical manner. Telemedicine has grown exponentially in the United States, and the shift toward remote care to align with social distancing guidelines is fueling this growth. Training medical students to deliver high-quality, secure, and personalized health care through telemedicine will prepare the next generation of physicians to conscientiously use these technologies and meet a growing need for telehealth services. Telemedicine-specific educational goals can be incorporated into curricula and integrated with existing clinical experiences to provide students with core telemedicine and clinical skills to prepare them for current and future pandemics. Medical educators could explore 5 major telemedicine domains: (1) access to care, (2) cost, (3) cost-effectiveness, (4) patient experience, and (5) clinician experience. Schools could use the following learning vehicles to help medical students explore these domains: (1) asynchronous lectures covering telehealth history; (2) discussions on applications, ethics, safety, etiquette, and patient considerations; (3) faculty-supervised standardized patient telehealth encounters; and (4) hands-on diagnostic or therapeutic procedures using telehealth equipment. Incorporating telemedicine into the medical school curriculum exposes students to the application of telemedicine across specialties as well as its limitations.

People with disabilities are at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. They may also suffer from lack of accessible emergency preparedness plans, communication and healthcare. Protective measures for people with disabilities should be endorsed and prioritized at a community level to adjust for social distancing. Repositories of local resources for emergency outreach in this time are also crucial. Telemedicine offers an innovative and safe way for health providers to care for people with disabilities to access many critical services without placing themselves or their caregivers at increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Communication strategies for critical information about resources for people with disabilities should be accessible. United States hospitals and government agencies should make allocation guideline proposals accessible to people with disabilities and incorporate bias training.