Editor’s note: The 14 ACS Advisory Councils, which serve as liaisons in the communication of information to and from surgical societies and the Regents, periodically submit articles on notable initiatives taking place in their respective specialties.
This issue features a submission from the Advisory Council for Ophthalmic Surgery.
Public health evidence highlights that the care that a patient experiences improves when the physician community reflects the population at large. Because eye disease disproportionately affects communities of color, increasing diversity in ophthalmology is especially important.
Although underrepresented minority groups compose 30.7% of the US population, they make up only 6% of practicing ophthalmologists. To begin a shift in the field of ophthalmology that not only more accurately reflects the national population but also better serves communities of color and reduces negative health outcomes, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) established Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring.
The program aims to increase diversity in ophthalmology by helping students who are underrepresented in medicine (UIM) become competitive ophthalmology residency applicants. The program also hopes to attract more UIMs who may not have otherwise considered ophthalmology as their specialty of choice because of competitive admission to residency.
We select qualified first year UIM medical students who are Black, Hispanic, and/or Native American (American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian). These are three racial and ethnic groups that are most underrepresented in medicine, and ophthalmology specifically. By increasing the number of Black, Hispanic, and Native American medical students matching into ophthalmology residency programs, over time, this pipeline program aims to create a more inclusive and equitable healthcare system.
The program accepts a new class of first-year medical students annually and support the cohort through their medical school career by offering a personalized and holistic approach to equip students with essential soft and hard skills to become competitive ophthalmology residency applicants.
The Student Engagement Weekend program and virtual sessions create an early interest in ophthalmology from students, and dedicated ophthalmologist mentors and academic coaches ensure students are empowered to pursue a career in ophthalmology. A vibrant online community, a closed safe space, brings together program students, mentors, and other ophthalmologist leaders to learn, share, and network. The program also provides guidance and financial support for students to participate in ophthalmology away rotations and research to increase their competitive edge as potential residency applicants.
In its seventh year, the program currently supports 270 students representing 104 US allopathic and osteopathic medical schools. The program has demonstrated its effectiveness in increasing interest and engagement in ophthalmology from UIM students. 86% of students continue to indicate very high/high interest in the specialty after 1 or more years of program participation. 67 students have successfully matched into 42 US ophthalmology residency programs since program inception, and the program is achieving significantly higher match rates than the national match rate among all US students.*
“I am really grateful for all of the support, advice, and resources that the program has provided throughout my 4 years in medical school,” said Juliana R., who matched at The University of Texas at San Antonio in 2024. “I am most grateful for the relationships that I was able to form through the program with both mentors and with other mentees. I hope this is a program that is available to other students in the future, because it was truly life changing.”
Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring was a 2022–2023 recipient of an ACS inclusive excellence grant. The program was supported by the AAO, AUPO, and member ophthalmologists who serve as the program’s leaders, mentors, and champions. The program has been further supported financially by subspecialty societies and special interest groups, industry partners, and individual ophthalmologists.
*Figures and data provided for the Minority Ophthalmology Mentoring program as of March 2024
