title: Gender Bias in Diagnostic Radiology Resident Selection, Does it Exist?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether there is a bias in the residency selection process that influences the proportion of females entering diagnostic radiology residencies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 4117 applications to one diagnostic radiology residency program from 2008 to 2014 were analyzed. Invitations to interview were evaluated by each year, specifically looking at gender. Ranking of applicants, especially those placed in top 25% of the rank, was also assessed. Additional data analyzed included United States Medical Licensing Examination Step 1 board examination score (a proxy for academic performance), interview scores, and final position on rank list.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Female applicants averaged 24% of the total applicant pool during the years studied, yet made up a disproportionately high percentage of applicants invited to interview (30%) and those ranked in top 25% (38%). It was found that female applicants had slightly higher mean interview scores and lower Step 1 scores than male applicants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that program directors in one program want to increase gender diversity by making strides to keep the female candidate pool and the proportion of female residents in the program at least stable. The pipeline of female medical students pursuing a career in radiology appears to be a limiting factor rather than a bias against women in the resident selection process. Identifying such trends is important as it provides a better understanding of the etiology for an overall lack of gender diversity within the field. Furthermore, it may lead to closing the gender gap in radiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Jonathan Lucas, MSC 323, Charleston, SC 29425. Electronic address: hewettll@musc.edu.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hewett
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Jonathan Lucas, MSC 323, Charleston, SC 29425.
authors.forename: Madelene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Jonathan Lucas, MSC 323, Charleston, SC 29425.
authors.forename: Heather
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Jonathan Lucas, MSC 323, Charleston, SC 29425.
authors.forename: Leonie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gordon
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D011871:Radiology / Q000193:education*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012570:School Admission Criteria; D063507:Sexism; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States
keywords: Bias; Diversity; Education; Gender; Radiology; Resident; Women