To analyze the demographic diversity of the pathology workforce in the United States, focusing on gender and racial/ethnic representation among recently certified pathologists.
Approach:
Data Analysis: Researchers analyzed demographic data from the American Board of Pathology covering over 39,000 board-certified pathologists, primarily those certified since 2006.
Key Findings:
53% of active pathologists certified since 2006 are female, up from 27% for those certified before 2006.
Female representation varies by specialty: 39% in clinical pathology, 52% in anatomic pathology, and 54% in both.
Clinical informatics has the lowest female representation at 25%.
62% of active pathologists certified since 2006 are White, 27% Asian, 4% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 8% Hispanic or Latino.
Black Americans represent about 14% of the US population, while Hispanic Americans represent about 20%. Black Americans and Hispanic Americans are underrepresented in pathology compared to their proportions in the US population.
Interpretation:
The findings indicate progress in gender diversity but persistent racial and ethnic disparities in the pathology workforce.
Limitations:
The study does not address the reasons behind the underrepresentation of certain racial and ethnic groups.
It does not explore the impact of these disparities on patient care.
Conclusion:
Continued efforts are necessary to recruit, retain, mentor, and advance pathologists from underrepresented groups.
Long-read transcript sequencing uncovered protein-altering variants missed by reference transcript analyses and identified functional effects for a lung-specific DPP9 isoform.
