THE SPECIALTY choices of underrepresented students in US medicine are strongly influenced by clinical exposure lifestyle factors and mentorship within chosen fields.
Factors Shaping Diversity in Medicine
This cross-sectional survey explored how diversity in medicine influences specialty decisions among underrepresented in medicine students. Two hundred and fifty-seven eligible respondents completed a 55-item questionnaire distributed via national and local email lists of two major US medical student associations. The most desired specialties were obstetrics and gynecology emergency medicine pediatrics internal medicine and orthopedics. Specialty preference differed when stratified by gender and racial or ethnic background which supports the need for deeper analysis of the least diverse specialties in medicine.
Across the cohort the nature of patient care was the most influential determinant of specialty selection followed by patient population and working hours or lifestyle characteristics. These findings support the scenario in which students weigh day to day practice patterns and potential wellbeing outcomes alongside scope of practice and exposure to certain clinical populations. Diversity in medicine is therefore not only a pipeline problem but a structural exposure and experience problem within training.
Mentorship Support and Specialty Exposure
More than half of respondents said mentorship within their chosen specialty shaped their decisions in a major or significant way. Nearly seventy percent agreed or strongly agreed that racial or ethnic concordant mentorship would likely influence their decision. These data point to alignment between representation and specialty recruitment for underrepresented learners which may eventually affect physician workforce representation trends across US specialties.
Larger studies that are specialty specific and targeted toward the least diverse fields are needed because they may help reduce barriers to matriculation and improve long term representation. Better alignment of mentorship early experience and structured support for underrepresented students may also contribute to better downstream health outcomes for diverse populations.
Reference: Saizan A L et al. Diversity in medicine: how do underrepresented minority medical students select their specialty? A cross sectional survey study. BMC Med Educ. 2025;25(1):1556.
