Abstract 4140868: Perceptions about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion among Cardiovascular Fellows-in-Training

Background: Efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within cardiology have been proposed and implemented to varying degrees. However, the perceptions of cardiovascular (CV) fellows-in-training (FIT) have not been characterized. Therefore, we sought to gauge the experiences of CV FIT at their institutions and the extent to which DEI is valued and embraced as a core mission. Methods: We conducted a nationwide survey of CV FIT from May to June 2021, utilizing the CardioNerds platform to recruit participants. The 25-question survey assessed FIT perceptions of diversity, institutional prioritization of DEI efforts, and the commitment to anti-racism as part of the fellowship curriculum on a Likert scale from 1 to 5, supplemented by open-ended questions with free-text responses. The authors reviewed narrative comments to identify common themes. Results: A total of 101 fellows-in-training (39.2% female, 37.6% as Asian, 13% as Black, 9% as Hispanic/Latinx; and 36% as international medical graduates) responded to our survey. The majority (67%) of respondents believed that health equity was valued by their program, and most (65%) considered diversity and health equity as priorities of their programs. While 58% of all respondents felt there were physicians in leadership positions who looked like them, 92% of Black FIT disagreed. Respondents highlighted strengths of their institutions including a diverse existing workforce and institutional commitment to DEI. However, suggestions for improvement focused on formal equity training, community outreach opportunities, and recruitment of underrepresented in medicine faculty in leadership positions. Conclusion: CV FIT recognize that DEI is valued by their institutions and training programs, but persistent challenges remain. Black CV FIT did not feel adequately represented in leadership, highlighting a need for more Black representation in faculty leadership. FIT desire formal cardiovascular equity training and community outreach opportunities, indicating a need for standardized health equity and antiracist curricula in cardiology programs.