Mass General Brigham Virtual Residency Recruitment Brings Record Diversity in Resident Matches

More than Half of Incoming OB/GYN Residents from Backgrounds Underrepresented in Medicine

BOSTON, April 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mass General Brigham today announced that it has matched more than 430 residents through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), recruiting a cohort that is 54% women and a record 26% Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM).

“We were absolutely thrilled with the success of the match program this year and the number of diverse candidates,” says Debra Weinstein, MD, Vice President of Graduate Medical Education at Mass General Brigham. “Because of COVID, our programs had to completely re-engineer the approach to recruitment, moving to a virtual model for the first time. Eliminating the cost of in-person interview visits may have freed applicants to think more broadly about where they would apply and interview. And our residents did a great job of helping applicants get a feel for what it’s like to train here—even over Zoom!”

URiM is designated by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) as those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population nationally, regionally, or locally. Our hospital-based Diversity, Equity and Inclusion teams worked closely with program leads on outreach to minority candidates and together helped to achieve the most diverse recruitment to date.

This was especially apparent in large, high-profile departments like Internal Medicine who matched with 28% URiM candidates. In Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN), where there is a national concern over eliminating racial disparities in maternal and reproductive health, over half of the incoming residents are URiM. Training diverse physicians is a critical piece of tackling health inequities across our system.

“At Mass General Brigham, we are committed to training a diverse healthcare workforce. Over the last year, we have reflected on what we need to do to make our educational programs welcome and inviting to that diverse healthcare trainee workforce,” says J. Kevin Tucker, MD, Vice President of Education at Mass General Brigham.

A variety of program-based outreach efforts brought applicants together for informational sessions on Zoom and virtual dinners with current trainees. While some aspects of virtual recruitment may support diversity, the Graduate Medical Education (GME) office is careful to acknowledge potential sources of bias like equal access to technology and coaching for virtual interviews. To help offset these hurdles, many programs sent candidates tips for digital interviews.

In addition, the GME Office produced videos that offered perspectives from residents, program directors and educational leaders, highlighting how Mass General Brigham residents are part of an integrated academic medical system – with academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals – helping Mass General Brigham stand out from other programs across the country.

The Mass General Brigham recruits, many of whom stay beyond residency, are a major reason why Mass General Brigham is a beacon for patient care and an inspiring place to work.

About Mass General Brigham

Mass General Brigham is an integrated academic healthcare system, uniting great minds in medicine to make life-changing impact for patients in our communities and people around the world. Mass General Brigham connects a full continuum of care across a system of academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals, a health insurance plan, physician networks, community health centers, home care, and long-term care services. Mass General Brigham is a non-profit organization that is committed to patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community. In addition, Mass General Brigham is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations and a principal teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School. For more information, please visit massgeneralbrigham.org.

CONTACT: Bridget Perry Mass General Brigham 8572820608 bperry7@partners.org