Becker's Hospital Review

88 CMO / CARE DELIVERY Why men are considered a 'diversity pick' for some OB-GYN residency programs By Alyssa Rege W hile the majority of OB-GYN physician residents are women, the ratio was significantly different 50 years ago, when 90 percent OB-GYNs were men, according to WFAE News. Roughly 82 percent of resident physicians who were matched into OB-GYN residency programs in 2016 were women, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Howev- er, several residency programs are attempting to recruit men for the sake of diversity. Ashlyn Savage, MD, an associate professor of obstetrics and gy- necology in the college of medicine at Charleston-based Medical University of South Carolina, said because the specialty is com- posed primarily of female physicians, men are being considered as a "diversity pick." "We might consider [a male] applicant with a slightly lower board score just to enhance how many men we are interviewing and con- sidering," said Dr. Savage. "The primary motivation to do so is that patients might have the option to seek out providers who feel like themselves. [But] in this particular case, by nature, all patients for OB-GYNs are women." Blake Butterworth, MD, a chief OB-GYN resident at MUSC, said obstetrics wasn't on his radar before his rotation during medical school because of the stereotype that it's primarily a female spe- cialty. "As males, we don't really understand the full variety and breadth of the specialty," Dr. Butterworth said. "But I think once you really get into it and get involved in it, I don't think that bias holds true." He added more male OB-GYNs should take it upon themselves to mentor male residents and teach them about the specialty to rid them of any preconceived biases. n Johns Hopkins ends tradition of short white lab coats for first-year residents: 5 things to know By Kelly Gooch T he Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore will retire short white coats traditionally worn by interns amid growing complaints from younger residents, according to e Balti- more Sun. Here are five things to know. 1. First-year residents have donned the short white lab coats aer entering Johns Hopkins' Osler Medical Training Program for generations. e length of the coat identified interns and set them apart from more experienced residents, who have worn a longer style, according to the report. 2. Effective in July, first-year residents will no longer wear the shorter coats. e newest class of residents will wear longer coats as other residents do. 3. Hospital officials attribute the decision to grow- ing complaints in recent years. Younger residents increasingly have taken issue with the short coat, saying it is not needed and could lead to patients perceiving they are not yet prepared for their role, according to the report. 4. Sanjay Virendra Desai, MD, director of the Os- ler Medical Training Program and associate pro- fessor of medicine, said in an email to residents obtained by e Baltimore Sun: "Today, it does not promote the values which it was intended to promote. Instead, it represents a physical sym- bol of the past, and of an excessive rigidity and hierarchy. is is unfortunate, but it is real. All institutions have to adapt to stay relevant and to ensure their traditions continue to uphold their core values. It would be a mistake for us not to." 5. First-year residents in Johns Hopkins' Osler Medical Training Program will join residents in other Johns Hopkins programs, such as surgery, that wear longer coats, according to the report. e report notes longer coats are also worn by residents at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, as well as by residents at other area hospitals. n Poll: 80% of New Yorkers blame physicians for opioid crisis By Megan Knowles T he majority of New Yorkers (80 percent) believe physi- cians over-prescribing opioids contributes most to opioid misuse, with nearly two-thirds expressing state govern- mental entities do not do enough to address it, according to a poll conducted by Albany, N.Y.-based Siena College. To raise opioid addiction awareness and address the crisis, Si- ena College surveyed approximately 1,400 New Yorkers about who they thought held the most responsibility for widespread opioid addiction. Here are four poll findings. 1. When asked how they would allocate available state funds to address the opioid crisis, the public would use 25 percent for supporting treatment and rehabilitation, 22 percent for address- ing the root causes, 19 percent on public education, 18 percent for addressing those responsible through regulation and liti- gation and 16 percent to encourage criminal justice officials to rectify the problem. 2. Over 80 percent of respondents said giving patients access to too many pain pills, over-prescription of opioids and pharma- ceutical companies failing to be transparent about opioid risks are either somewhat or very responsible for the current level of opioid misuse. 3. More than 70 percent of respondents cited insufficient gov- ernmental regulation, the moral failings of individuals, lack of public awareness, increasing societal pressures like economic problems and insufficient attention paid by federal law enforce- ment. 4. Poll respondents expressed support for governmental enti- ties to incorporate additional school programs for drug misuse prevention (85 percent), provide more funding for opioid treat- ment and rehabilitation (83 percent), and work to facilitate better communication between law enforcement, medical institutions, treatment facilities and insurance providers (82 percent). n

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