Addressing Gender Disparity in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation: The Role of Early Outreach in Premedical Students

Women remain underrepresented in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R), comprising only 36-39% of residents despite evidence that diverse teams improve patient outcomes. Limited early exposure and systemic barriers may contribute to this disparity. In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 1,101 U.S. premedical students from 198 colleges across 40 states and territories to assess perceptions of PM&R and identify effective early intervention strategies. While respondents included all gender identities, the analysis focused on the 870 female-identifying students (78.8%) due to the study's primary aim of addressing gender equity in PM&R. Only 30.6% were familiar with PM&R, with exposure primarily through social media (42.6%) and personal connections (31.1%); just 9.0% had shadowed a PM&R physician. Financial concerns were prevalent, with 68.6% citing medical education costs and 66.4% citing application fees as deterrents. Despite these barriers, 60.6% expressed interest in learning more about PM&R. Preferred engagement strategies included shadowing (81.8%), interactive workshops (76.6%), mentorship programs (60.1%) and gender-specific events such as "Women in PM&R" (62.8%). These findings underscore the need for targeted, early outreach initiatives that address both informational and financial barriers, aiming to foster greater awareness and representation of women in PM&R and ultimately support a more inclusive physician workforce.