title: Diversity, Inclusion, and Representation: It Is Time to Act.
abstract: Although the available pool of qualified underrepresented minority and women medical school graduates has expanded in recent decades, their representation in the radiological professions has improved only marginally. Recognizing this deficit in diversity, many professional medical societies, including the ACR, have incorporated these values as core elements of their missions and instituted programs that address previously identified barriers to a more diverse workforce. These barriers include insufficient exposure of underrepresented minorities and women to radiology and radiation oncology; misperception of these specialties as non-patient care and not community service; unconscious bias; and delayed preparation of candidates to compete successfully for residency positions. Critical success factors in expanding diversity and inclusion are well identified both outside and within the radiological professions; these are reviewed in the current communication. Radiology leaders are positioned to lead the profession in expanding the diversity and improving the inclusiveness of our professional workforce in service to an increasingly diverse society and patient population.
authors: Department of Radiology, Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, Pomona, California. Electronic address: Lightfoote@msn.com.
authors: Johnson B
authors: JB
authors: Lightfoote
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology and Molecular Radiation Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
authors: Curtiland
authors: C
authors: Deville
authors: Advanced Radiology, LLC, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors: Loralie D
authors: LD
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Radiation Oncology Office of Cancer Health Equity, Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center, Wake Forest, North Carolina.
authors: Karen M
authors: KM
authors: Winkfield
authors: Russell Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors: Katarzyna J
authors: KJ
authors: Macura
mesh_terms: D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005006:Ethnicity; D006282:Health Personnel; D006280:Health Workforce; D006801:Humans; D008913:Minority Groups; D011871:Radiology; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology
keywords: Diversity; health disparities; health equity; health policy; leadership; radiation oncology; radiology; underrepresented minorities; women in medicine