Abstract
In recent years, the radiology community’s interest in identifying and addressing disparities in training, employment and leadership positions has surged. Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives are an increasingly visible priority for radiology associations, departments, training programmes and professional life. By increasing the diversity and inclusivity of radiology residency programmes and leadership positions, we can ensure that future radiologists better reflect Canada’s diverse population. Having a radiology workforce that reflects the population it serves can ultimately improve patient care. Improvements in EDI in radiology can only be achieved with serious commitment by leadership. 1 A number of recommendations to improve EDI in Canadian Radiology have been proposed at the departmental, training programme and individual radiologist levels but provincial and national organizations also play an important role.2,3 Over the last year the Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR), the national organization representing Canadian radiologists, has actively supported and promoted EDI initiatives.
The CAR EDI Working Group (WG) was formed in April 2021. The structure of the WG is an Oversight Committee to oversee the overall focus of the WG and 5 additional EDI committees. The Oversight Committee is composed of CAR members of diverse gender and from diverse geographic locations including the west, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces with demonstrated interest and experience in EDI initiatives. The 5 committees were formed based on the expressed interest of the members and are chaired by members of the Oversight Committee. The WG’s first task was the creation of a diversity statement for the CAR. The intent was to solidify the vision and mission of the WG within the CAR. The final statement was endorsed by the CAR board in September of 2021. The thoughtful and uniquely Canadian diversity statement is now on the CAR website. Ongoing CAR EDI WG Committee work includes initiatives to encourage application to Radiology; addressing bias in recruitment, hiring and promotion; a Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS) best practice document; research about the Canadian Radiology gender pay gap; and creation of an EDI toolkit, intended to help guide radiologists and radiology departments as they seek to improve EDI in Radiology.
The CAR chose EDI as the theme of the opening plenary at the 2021 Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM). The plenary titled ‘Practical Promotion of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Radiology’ was moderated by the past chair of the Resident and Fellow section and featured 4 radiologists from across North America with experience in researching and promoting EDI in radiology. The session opened by defining the terms equity, diversity and inclusion as this was a first introduction to EDI for many of the attendees. The first speaker, the founder of Canadian Radiology Women and co-founder of CAR’s EDI WG, provided data demonstrating the Canadian radiology gender gap in resident programmes, leadership, and academia. She proposed that the barriers experienced by women in radiology and shared by all minorities could be addressed by increasing the visibility and engagement of the women and minorities who are already in radiology. The second speaker, the former Diversity Officer of the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), described the MGH experience creating its EDI committee through strategic planning, aligned with hospital-wide EDI strategies. He explained that culture focused on elevating team members and sharing credit for success is vital to ensure a thriving, engaged, mutually supportive workforce and that organizations that embody core EDI principles are most likely to be successful. The third speaker, a Past President of the American Association for Women in Radiology (AAWR), brought forth the staggering gender gap in US radiology. She shared the success of 2 programmes at Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Department of Radiology that have increased the diversity of their trainees. The fourth speaker, Past President of the CAR, highlighted the overt lack of data regarding diversity in radiology, notably regarding gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability. Finally, he asserted that it is critical to question ourselves as to what we can do as citizens to increase the intake of diverse people into medical schools, radiology programmes and radiology.
Equity, diversity, and inclusion was again a topic at the CAR 2022 ASM. The Royal College McLaughlin-Gallie Visiting Professor EDI workshop explored how the diversity gains being realized at the undergraduate levels could not be achieved with the current radiology career pipeline. This event was reviewed in a recent CARJ editorial. 4 The event and editorial are calls to action for radiology leadership to prioritize recruitment and retention of diverse radiology faculty in order to embody diversity, foster inclusivity and promote equity.
The CAR has also supported outside initiatives that promote EDI, such as Canadian Radiology Women and the hugely successful Dalhousie Leadership Workshop for Women in Radiology, which was held in October 2021. This workshop was a half day virtual event with didactic lectures from prominent women, topic based break out sessions and a panel discussion. Didactic lectures included sessions on leadership and wellbeing, on negotiation skills, the gender pay gap in Canadian medicine, creating your personal brand, building relationships with administrators and conflict resolution. The break out sessions focused on the needs of trainees, community and academic radiologists where the discussion surrounded how to get involved and make your voice heard. The CAR is also supporting the 2023 workshop and is exploring a formal EDI workshop at the 2023 ASM.
The CAR commitment to championing EDI has been concurrent with an explosion of EDI interest and initiatives across the country. EDI committees are being formed in many academic radiology departments. Ongoing support from the CAR and other radiology organizations will be required to maintain this momentum. Radiology organizations, departments and radiologists must accept that EDI in medicine are intrinsically linked to health equity and that a diverse radiology workforce best serves our increasingly diverse patients. The future of radiology in Canada is in the balance.
