Diversity challenges persist: Female underrepresented minority applicants in ophthalmology see lower match success

Although female applicants in ophthalmology have higher overall match rates compared to male applicants, those who identify as underrepresented in medicine (URiM) applicants who are female face significant disparities, including lower match rates and challenges related to Step 2 CK scores, highlighting ongoing diversity and equity issues in the field, according to a poster presented at the 2024 Women in Ophthalmology Summer Symposium.

A recent analysis of San Francisco Match data from 2021 to 2023 highlights significant disparities in match rates and Step 2 CK scores based on gender and URiM status among 2,367 ophthalmology applicants.

Women accounted for 36.3% of the applicants, and they were found to have a significantly higher overall match rate (70.1%) compared to their male counterparts (61.9%). However, disparities emerge when considering URiM female applicants. Of the 321 URiM applicants, 129 (40.2%) were female, yet these women experienced lower match rates (59.7%) compared to White (75%) and Asian (71%) female applicants.

The analysis also highlighted the performance gap in Step 2 CK scores among URiM female applicants. Those who matched had a significantly higher mean score (248.65) compared to their unmatched peers (235.55).

Reference
Mehta S, et al. Evaluating the match rates of female and underrepresented in medicine applicants from 2021-2023: a San Francisco match analysis. Poster Presented at: WIO 2024.