Program Directors Survey on Diversity in Cardiovascular Training Programs

Background: Women and minorities are under-represented in cardiovascular disease (CVD) specialties. It remains unknown how characteristics of the CVD learning environment affect diversity and how program directors (PDs) approach these critical issues.

Objectives: The second annual Cardiovascular PD Survey aimed to investigate characteristics of the CVD learning environment that may affect diversity and strategies PDs use to approach these issues.

Methods: The survey contained 20 questions examining U.S.-based CVD PD perceptions of diversity in CVD and related characteristics of the CVD fellowship learning environment.

Results: In total, 58% of PDs completed the survey. Responding programs demonstrated geographic diversity. The majority were university-based or -affiliated. A total of 86% of PDs felt diversity in CVD as a field needs to increase, and 70% agreed that training programs could play a significant role in this. In total, 89% of PDs have attempted to increase diversity in fellowship recruitment. The specific strategies used were associated with PD sex and the presence of under-represented minority trainees in the program. PDs identified lack of qualified candidates and overall culture of cardiology as the 2 most significant barriers to augmenting diversity. A majority of programs have support systems in place for minority fellows or specific gender groups, including procedures to report issues of harassment or an unsafe learning environment. PDs identified shared best practices for recruitment and implicit bias training, among others, as important resources in their efforts to support diversity in CVD training.

Conclusions: Diversity is important to CVD PDs. They are striving to increase it in their programs through recruitment and strategies directed toward the fellowship learning environment. The CVD community has opportunities to standardize strategies and provide national resources to support PDs in these critical efforts.