The Pursuit and Success of Diversity Efforts

When Paul H. Ellenbogen, MD, FACR, former chair of the ACR BOC, attended medical school in the 1970s, only four students in his class were women. Just nine percent of radiologists were women. 

Christina Shehata

What to do about these issues? To grow the specialty and continue to be inclusive, the College should continue supporting medical student education, particularly in preclinical curriculums and advocate for radiology to be incorporated more in early medical school curricula, advises Shehata. “One of the best ways to increase diversity is to give students the opportunity and time to explore radiology early on,” she says. Ellenbogen stresses that continued support from leadership is critical, not only in organizations like the ACR but also academic institutions and private practices. “We need to ensure that important projects like PIER have the dedicated resources to continue making progress,” he notes.

Macura suggests that efforts should continue at the state level, where members are most directly impacted. “There, we can not only engage young people to participate in the specialty but also to be involved, run for office and affect the policy of the future,” she says. “To enhance our future, we must empower the next generation with the tools to move forward.”