Underrepresented populations are not a new phenomenon in ophthalmology, specifically in the retina subspecialty.
According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics, minority populations made up 38% of the U.S. population in 2014 and are expected to exceed 50% of the population by 2044. Yet, the demographics of the ophthalmology workforce do not reflect this rapidly changing diverse U.S. population.
A secondary analysis of medical school faculty demographic data from the 2019 American Association of Medical Colleges Faculty Roster showed ophthalmology faculty are less racially and