Residency Program Websites as an Avenue Towards Increasing Diversity and Inclusion in Dermatology: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Program Websites

Background: In recent years, dermatology as a field has identified a paucity in diversity. Multiple projects at different institutional levels were initiated to address this. One area of interest is recruitment of underrepresented minorities (URMs) in medicine at the residency level. This study investigates how many dermatology residency programs display their diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts on their official website. Methods: 140 US Dermatology residency program (DRP) websites were analyzed for presence of D&I action items at all, and then specifically within their curriculum, goals, mission statements. The websites were reviewed for the presence of zero tolerance policies as well as targeted resources made available for URMs in the residency program. Results: As of December 2020, only 45/140 (32%) of residency programs mention D&I on their official websites. The least represented action item across all DRP websites is the zero-tolerance policy for discrimination (3.6%). Conclusions: Most dermatology residency programs do not mention D&I on their websites. This can be a budget-friendly and effective method to recruit more diverse applicants to dermatology. As residency application seasons continue virtually, the program websites might be increasingly utilized as a source of information.