Journal Supplement Highlights Need for Diversity in Building Future ID Workforce
A new collection of articles, now available online, highlights the critical importance of nurturing a diverse next generation of infectious diseases specialists and leaders. Published as an IDSA-sponsored supplement to The Journal of Infectious Diseases, the articles build on a 2019 supplement, part of an ongoing effort to improve inclusion, diversity, access, and equity within IDSA and the field as a whole.
“Recent years have seen worrisome trends in the number of residents entering the ID field, and now more than ever, we need to reverse these trends by building a diverse ID workforce and leadership that inspires the next generation of applicants and reflects the diversity of our patients,” said IDSA Immediate Past President Cynthia L. Sears, M.D., FIDSA, Archana Chatterjee, M.D., Ph.D., FIDSA, and Jonathan Li, M.D., FIDSA, who served as the journal supplement’s editors. “We hope that this supplement will act as both an educational medium and a catalyst to help nurture a diverse next generation of clinicians, scientists, and leaders in ID.”
The journal supplement’s articles include:
- A summary of the major priorities that IDSA’s Inclusion, Diversity, Access & Equity Task Force will focus on to drive improvements in these areas;
- A survey-based study on barriers and strategies to close the gap in academic advancement between men and women faculty members, and policy recommendations to address these gaps;
- A review of the importance of cultural competence and humility in the care of patients, the importance of diversity in ID research, and strategies and metrics to improve cultural competency.
Additional articles detail and celebrate the remarkable history of women and African American pioneers in the ID field, including Dr. George Counts and his impact on a generation of physicians and scientists. The supplement ends with an article written by current and past IDSA leaders detailing their own personal journeys and providing advice on career development and paths to leadership.
“Inclusion, Diversity, Access and Equity in Infectious Diseases: Nurturing the Next Generation of Clinicians, Scientists and Leaders” appears with the Oct. 15 issue of JID and is available online.
###
The Journal of Infectious Diseases (JID) is the premier global journal for original research on infectious disease and is an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Based in Arlington, Va., IDSA is a professional society representing more than 12,000 physicians and scientists who specialize in infectious diseases. For more information, visit www.idsociety.org. Follow IDSA on Facebook and Twitter.