Report of the APM diversity subcommittee: Review of issues and initiatives in minority recruitment and faculty development

The following articles address the racial and ethnic diversity of the internal medicine workforce, an important issue for the Association of Professors of Medicine (APM) and academic internal medicine. The first article—prepared by John T. Potts, Jr., MD, Chair of APMʹs Diversity Subcommittee—outlines steps departments of internal medicine can take to increase the representation of minority physicians on an institutional level and throughout the discipline. Moreover, the piece sets forth specific goals departments can incorporate in their missions regarding minority physician recruitment and faculty development. Continuing this theme in a second article, Joan Y. Reede, MD—Director of the Minority Faculty Development Program at Harvard Medical School—outlines the broad range of programs necessary for institutions to confront the restricted “pipeline” of underrepresented minority individuals entering the biomédical sciences. Additionally, Dr. Reede presents a program she and others have developed to face the pipeline issue on a national scale. “DataLink” would establish a national database on minority individuals interested in the biomedical sciences, as well as on the programs and funds available to aid these individuals. APM endorses the development of DataLink as a means to identify those minority individuals interested in careers in the biomedical sciences and detail options available to assist minority students in their pursuits. While some practical issues must be addressed in completing such a project, the association encourages those interested in its development to contact Dr. Reede at (617) 432–2413.