Diversity in otolaryngology is moving in a positive direction, though there has only a modest increase in diversity in the specialty, according to a cross-sectional study of medical school data from 2013-2022 that was published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Andrea Shogan, MD, and colleagues assessed medical student data for two 5-year intervals: 2013-2017 and 2018-2022. Of 59,865 medical residents, 73.4% were women, 10.4% were Black, and 16.2% were Latino. The comparison between the two study intervals showed that the proportions of women, Black, and Latino trainees increased in otolaryngology (2.9%, 0.7%, and 1.6%, respectively) and decreased for Black trainees in both general surgery and neurosurgery (−0.4% and −1.0%, respectively). Compared with their proportions in medical school, Latino trainees were well represented in general surgery, neurosurgery, and otolaryngology, but women and Black trainees remained underrepresented in general surgery, neurosurgery, and otolaryngology. The percentage of women (2.5%), Black (1.1%), and Latino (1.1%) trainees in otolaryngology all increased from 2020 to 2022. Positive trends were seen in all three specialties.
